Launch JNLP App - launch style
"Here is my little application, launch it below. .."
Link
http://www.physci.org/jws/basicserv.jnlp
A java programmer might expect to see an application popping onto screen when they click the link above - few other people would know or care what a JNLP file is.
Styled Link
This is 'more intuitive'. It is still a link, but the text has been changed to describe what happens, and the link itself has been styled to appear like an HTML based form button.
There are still differences. The link can be styled for mouse 'hover' effects, whereas the form button cannot. We change the border from raised to lowered bevel border on hover, to 'suggest' it be clicked. Hovering over (or tabbing to) the link shows the link address in the browser status bar, whereas there is no feedback about the button - the app. URL is not (easily) shown.
Form button
This is a form (submit) button. The form has a method of 'get', specifying the JNLP URL as the action.
With clear instructions as to what happens when the button is clicked, this might be most clear to the end user.
Don't like the word 'Launch'? Play around with it. E.G. ..
It is important to understand that while the form/button makes the JNLP URL a little harder to get, it cannot be used to 'hide' the URL of the JNLP file. That information is only 'another couple of keystrokes away' from a web-savvy surfer.
Summary
While the link seems very counter-intuitive (and perhaps more than a little scary) to your average web surfer, the styled link and the button are more intuitive.
Ultimately I would recommend the styled link for an audience of developers or technical personnel (who might have an interest in the URL), and the form button for end users.
