The mechanisms necessary to delete an applet on smart cards using Java Card technology are embodied in an on-card component called the Applet Deletion Manager.

To the CAD, the Applet Deletion Manager appears to be an applet, and may be one and the same as the Applet Installer. It has an AID, and it becomes the currently selected applet instance when this AID is successfully processed by a SELECT FILE command. Once selected on a logical channel, the Applet Deletion Manager behaves in much the same way as any other applet, as follows:

• It receives all APDUs dispatched to this logical channel, just like any other active applet.

• Its design specification prescribes the various kinds and formats of APDUs that it expects to receive, along with the semantics of those commands under various preconditions.

• It processes and responds to all APDUs that it receives. Response to incorrect APDUs include an error condition of some kind.

• When another applet is selected on this logical channel (or when the card is reset or when power is removed from the card), the Applet Deletion Manager becomes deselected and remains suspended until the next time it is selected.