(Apple Problem ID#: 2793489)
The View | Java Messages menu item in Internet
Explorer 5.1.2 for OS 10.1 does nothing other than open a blank document that
never got any information written to it. Although users can get the same
Java Messages using the Console application, many users will expect to find Java
Messages because there is a menu item for them and and they are available from
such menu items on browsers for OS 9 and Windows.
It would be good if the View | Java Messages menu item would
show Java Messages information. Such a feature works in Netscape 6.2 for
OS 10.1. If a Java Console is not to be added, the Java Messages menu item should be
eliminated from Internet Explorer.
Workaround: use the Console application (/Applications/Utilities/Console.app) instead of Java Messages and tell all the users of your applet to do this.
If you have any insights, workarounds or comments about this test page please contact Mickey Segal. A listing of many Macintosh Java bugs with demonstration applets is at this link, including information on how to add any necessary Java plugins.
Update for OS 10.2: Using the "Java Plugin Settings" application that is new to OS 10.2, one can set "Show Java Console", which is off by default. After setting "Show Java Console" a window named "Java Console" shows up when any applet is run, regardless of whether it writes to the Java Console. Messages that appear in the Java Console no longer appear in the regular Console.
The "Java Messages" menu item in Internet Explorer still brings up a "Java Messages" window but nothing appears in this window.