is there a way to make a random value that is the same on an applet and the webpage it is on.

In flash this can be done using flashVars:
The webpage (php) makes the variable.
The variable is printed in the script that calls the applet.
The variable can then be displayed in the applet.

thanks for the reply, but i still am a little confused.

lets just look at the simplest example i can think of.

code (processing) :
Code:

int x=<howToGet value from the page the applet is on??>;
line(x,1,1,50);
 

html (... means i skipped stuff)
Code:

...
<!--[if !IE]> -->
<object classid="java:get_data_from_page.class" 
type="application/x-java-applet"
archive="get_data_from_page.jar"
width="100" height="100"
standby="Loading Processing software..." > 
    	
<param name="x" value="100">     
...
<!--<![endif]-->			
<object classid="clsid:8AD9C840-044E-11D1-B3E9-00805F499D93" 
codebase="http://java.sun.com/update/1.5.0/jinstall-1_5_0_15-windows-i586.cab"
width="100" height="100"
standby="Loading Processing software..."  >
					
<param name="x" value="100">
...
</object>			
<!--[if !IE]> -->
</object>
<!--<![endif]-->
 

     i put the param x there twice, (ie and firefox). is that correct?

and the processing code will not export unless i give x a value, but i want the value to come from the java-script not from with in the applet.