1. An applet executing on a computer for interfacing with multiple client programs executing on the computer, the applet being initiated by a browser-based application executing on the computer, the applet comprising: a socket server configured to perform actions comprising: (1) establishing a server socket on a port, (2) receiving a connection request via the port from at least one of the multiple client programs, (3) opening a socket connection on a different port for communicating with the at least one of the multiple client programs in response to the received connection request, (4) receiving a service request on the different port from the at least one of the multiple client programs after the socket connection is opened, and (5) outputting the received service request as a passed-on service request; a translation facade configured to perform actions comprising: (1) receiving the passed-on service request outputted from the socket server, (2) parsing the passed-on service request, thereby generating a parsed service request, if the passed-on service request complies with predetermined rules, (3) rejecting the passed-on service request if the passed-on service request does not comply with the predetermined rules, and (4) outputting the parsed service request if generated; and a processing system configured to perform actions comprising: (1) receiving the parsed service request from the translation facade and (2) processing the parsed service request.