What is a thin-client application?
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A browser that uses a plug-in to process user data.
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A distributed application where the client program does not process datA. but instead passes data for processing to an enterprise bean running on an application server.
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An application that cannot be stopped by a firewall.
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An application compiled with the -thin option of the javac command
A thin-client application in J2EE context refers to a client program that doesn't process business logic itself but delegates it to enterprise beans on an application server. This reduces client-side complexity and centralizes business logic. Plug-ins, firewall bypassing, and compilation flags are unrelated to the thin-client architecture concept.
The correct definition is: a distributed application where the client does not process data itself but passes it to an enterprise bean (EJB) on an application server for processing. This is the standard Java EE (SCJP/SCWCD-era) definition of "thin client" — the client is lightweight, holding minimal business logic, while the heavy lifting happens server-side. A browser using a plug-in to process data describes a 'fat'/rich client, not thin. "Cannot be stopped by a firewall" is nonsensical and unrelated to the thin/thick distinction. Compiling with a mythical '-thin' javac option doesn't exist — javac has no such flag.