The Desktop API, introduced in version 6 of the Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE), enables Java applications to integrate seamlessly with the desktop. Three types of integration are supported:

• The ability to launch the host system's default browser with a specific Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).
• The ability to launch the host system's default email client.
• The ability to launch applications to open, edit, or print files associated with those applications.

You can see this in the PasswordStore demo in the Notes text pane. Click on the link that is displayed in the text pane — it opens the specified URI in the default browser.

Click on the URI and it opens in the Default Browser

For more information, see the Using the Desktop API in Java SE 6 (Mustang) article.