[java] JVM Version-checking and safe degrade

I have several questions, but I''ve split them into separate threads... Experience-wise I''m C++ (and these days .NET) orientated coding-wise, although I use Java for Applets when I want a web-page to client-server without postback/refreshes. For web design, I generally use ASP/ASP.NET, although I can use PHP (and occasionally JSP). Anyway to the question:- Is there an easy way to detect JVM version, and degrade gracefully, running the software using older methods, and/or offering a link to the www.java.com to get the latest version? In C++, you would either use an earlier COM-interface, LoadLibrary and seek the function (and fall back if you didn''t find it), and other similar techniques. Can you do the same with the JVM, or is the ''compiled'' applet/class limited to the version it was built-on (or later). Yours, Archimage (Ann-Marie Ratcliffe)