WHAT ARE ACTIVE SERVER PAGES

 

          Active Server Pages, known commonly as ASP, is a technology that enables you to make dynamic and interactive web pages.  The APS uses server-side scripting to produce web pages that are not affected by the type of browser that web site visitor are using.  The default scripting language used for writing Asp is VBScript, and you can use other scripting languages like Jscript (Microsoft’s version of Java Script).  ASP can be used to create highly interactive and dynamic web pages that do not require a lot of client-side programming.  If someone wants to calculate, validate or manipulate the input or output between the server and the users, APS will do that.  The ASP code is run on the server and never reaches the browser, the resulting HTML can be very simple, highly customized.

            ASP pages have the extension .asp instead of .htm, when a page with the extension .asp is requested by browser the web server knows to interpret any ASP contained within the web page before sending the HTM produces to the browser.  In this way the entire ASP is ran on the web server and no ASP will ever be passed to the web browser.  Simply simply opening the page in the web browser cannot run any web pages containing Asp.  The page must be requested through a web server that supports ASP, this is why Asp stands for Active Server Pages, no server, and no active pages.

            Asp was first introduced by Microsoft on it’s web server, Internet Information Server (IIS) that runs on Windows 2000/XP Pro/NT4, it is this web server that ASP pages usually run best on.  For anyone who runs Windows and wish to play with Asp on their system, you will need to install Microsoft’s Internet Information Server (IIS).  IIS or its micro version Personal Web server (PWS) comes free with Windows.

            Any organizations can use the Active Server Pages technology to put a Web front end on exiting business solutions, or to create entirely new Web based applications.  ASP will provide an open development environment; support for Microsoft Visual Basic, Scripting Edition (VBScript) and Jscript AA organizations can leverage the investments they already have in these scripting languages.

            Active Server Pages is a component of IIS 3.0, this free, downloaded, and integrated feature of Windows NT Server 4.0.     

            Before you implement ASP for your web application, serious thinks whether ASP is the correct solution for your company or personal used.

 

HOW ACTIVE SERVER PAGES WORKS

 

When you incorporate Active Server Pages into you Web site, this is what happens:

 

• The user brings up a Web site where the default page has the extension .asp.

 

• The browser requests the ASP file from the Web servers.

 

• The server-side script begins to run with ASP.

 

• Asp processes the requested file (top-down), executes any script commands contained in the file, and produces an HTML Web page.
• The Web page is sent to the browser.

 

The script is running on the server, the Web server is doing all of the processing and standard HTML pages can be generated and sent to the browser.  Your Web pages are limited only by what your Web server supports.  One other benefit of having your script reside on the server is that the user cannot “view source” on the original script and code.  The user sees only the generated HTML as well as non-HTML content, such as XML, on the pages that are being viewed.

 

WHAT ARE ACTIVE SERVER PAGES BENEFITS

 

• ASP is very easy to learn.

 

• ASP is free.  It is built into Window 2000 and can easily be installed on Windows 95/98/NT.

 

• Maintenance on ASP site is much simpler because of SSI (Server-Side Includes).

 

• It can speeds up web pages by sending less data to the browser.

 

• It can decrease the number of HTML files because most are generated from databases or text files.

 

• Speeds up web pages by sending less data to your browser.

 

• Advance features for more experienced Webmaster.

 

·        ASP runs as a service of the Web server, and is optimized for multiple threads and multiple users. 

 

·        ASP enables you to separate the design of you Web page from the details of programming access to databases and applications; this allows programmers and Web designers to focus on what they do best.

 

·        ASP is language-neutral; if you are skilled at scripting language such as VBScript Jscript, then you already know how to use ASP.

 

• For the HTML author, ASP is an easy way to begin creating Web applications.  To process user input on the Web server with CGI applications, a programming language such as Perl or C must be learned.  With the ASP you can collect HTML form information and pass it to a database by using simple server-side scripts written in VBScript of Jscript that are embedded directly in the HTML documents.

 

• If you develop Web applications by using a programming language like Java, Visual Basic, or C++, you have the flexibility of ASP.  Also to using scripts to create an engaging HTML interface for your application, you can use Java components to encapsulate the application’s business logic into reusable modules that can be called from a script from another component or from another program.

 

• Server-side ASP scripts can be used to store HTML form information in a database is personalized to the Web site according to visitor preference, or use different HTML features based on the browser.  The scripts can run on the server rather on the client, the Web server can do much of the work involved in generating the HTML pages sent to browsers.  Server-side scripts cannot be readily copies because only the result of the script is returned to the browser; and users cannot view the script commands that created the page they are viewing.

 

• You can have your ASP code connect to a database and insert your HTML pages.  This can lead to possibilities in ECommerce customizable sites, data entering, retrieving systems Internet, and other likes.

 

• You can view some web ASP by visiting most any Microsoft sponsored site such as MBNBO Zone.

 

• So believe that it is easier to write dynamic sites using Asp than it on UNIX box.

 

• If you are a UNIX server and want to use Asp, you have two options:  Buy a third part product, like Chilisoft, to run your ASP on a net web server, or move your site to a host who provides NT web servers.

 

• Availability.  Application is accessible any time, anywhere.

 

• Active Server Pages makes it easy to bring legacy database applications to the Web.

 

• Active Server Pages are secure and is a component of Internet Information Server, and uses Windows NT Security.

 

• Sites can be maintained without explicate HTML knowledge.

 

WHAT ARE NEEDED TO RUN ACTIVE SERVER PAGES

 

• The Active Server Pages feature Of IIS 3.0 requires Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 running IIS 2.0 or Windows NT Workstation 4.0 running Peer Web Services

 

• The ASP feature does not require Service 2 for Windows NT 4.0 even though it is recommended that all Windows NT systems receive the Service Pack 2 updates.  The ASP feature contains a subset of the updates found in Service Pack 2.

 

• Installation of Asp will upgrade IIS version 2.0 to version 3.0.  The other IIS 3.0 features-Index Server 1.1, Microsoft NetShowAA, FrontPage 97 Server Extension, and Crystal Reports-add significant functionality to IIS, but are not requires taking advantage of ASP.

 

WHAT SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ARE NEEDED FOR ACTIVE SERVER PAGES

 

Active Server Pages or ASP is very easy to learn.  Even if you are not an experienced programmer, you do not have to learn a new language to create ASP files.  You can use any language that supports ActiveX scripting.  If you already develop Visual Basic, using VBScript is a snap.  If a person knows how to author pages in HTML, you may need to advance your skills a notch.  Learning VBScript or Jscript, Microsoft’s Implementation of JavaScript is not hard. 

As a programmer you do not have to write your own controls to start using Active Server Pages.  You can use any off-the-shelf-control that can be run on a server and has no user interface.  One good thing is with the Active Server Pages; you do not have to write your own controls to start with.  You can use any off-the-shelf control that can be run on a server and has no user interface.  Why is this case?  This is because you should not have a user interface becoming obvious when you picture some hapless computer operator sitting in front on the server-dismissing dialog boxes meant for the user’s machine.  Another reason why is because the operator could care less whether you have logged on successfully or not.  User interfaces are for client applications and not for server-side scripting. 

 

ACTIVE SERVER PAGES TIPS AND TOP TEN LIST

 

These are things to keep in mind when working with Active Server Pagers.  It will get your started in the right direction.

 

·        Design for Success

 

• Use application state for coaching output.

 

• Create and modify Processor ThreadMax registry value.

 

• Use system DSNs not file DSNs or DSN-less DSNs.

 

• Enable buffering for all Applications.

 

• Use Microsoft Transaction Server “Library” Packages.

 

• Disable Session state, if not used.

 

• Use Option Explicit with VBScript.

 

• Make ADO free-threaded if you use SQL Server.

 

• Modify the metabase AspScriptEngineCacheMax value.

 

 

HOW ARE ACTIVE SERVER PAGES BEING USED

 

According to one article “We see the ASP market, in its broadest sense, as an enormous business opportunity.  It has been estimated by other market research organizations, variously, as being in the $2 to $10 billion per year range by 2003.  More importantly, we believe it has the potential to fundamentally change the way in which software is offered, delivered, supported, and used.  Such fundamental changes could carry with them the ability to profoundly change the marketplace, creating new market makers and carrying old market leaders away from their prominent positions.”

Today, ASP is being used by practically everyone one the World Wide Web.  Microsoft Web site, sites such as NBC (http://www.nbc.com, NASDAQ (http://www.nasdaq.com, and even Martha Stewart (http://www.marthastewart.com).

Active Server Pages can develop a new generation of Web-based applications, such extending sales and customer service to the Web, and providing to corporate databases and applications to any browser on the intranet.  It also allows organizations to extend the power of scripting on the server with ActiveX server components.  These components can be created sing Microsoft Visual Basic, Visual C++, Java, and other languages.  Active Server Pages provides support for both Microsoft Jscript and VBScript, ActiveX scripting plug-ins are available for REXX, PERL, and Python.  Active Server can work with any Web browser.  Since the output of an Asp file is plain HTML, the content of which can be customized for the capabilities of the client.

Another important feature of the ASP is that it allows you to define application and session variables that can be carried across multiple pages in a Web site.  This can be as simple as remembering a user’s name, and it is necessary applications such on online shopping to rack product selections. 

Active Server Pages is a component of Internet Information Server, and uses Windows NT security.  ASP files can be easily restricted to just certain users through secure Windows NT authentication, basic Web authentication, or client-side certificates, For any additional security, all client-to-server communications can be secured with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).

The common use of Active Server Pages is for database connection.  A database that uses ODBC can be accessed by ASP including Microsoft Access 97/2000, Microsoft’s SQL server and Oracle.  This can leads to some possibilities such as Commerce, customizable sites, data entering/retrieving systems Internet, and a still other possibilities.

There are tow types of vendors.  Providers who sell services to user organization and suppliers who provide infrastructure and services to providers.  Both of these groups have different agenda and needs.

What I have learned is that ASP is here to stay and it will continues to help many businesses and organizations to improve. 

 

 

 

 

Written by L. Pettaway

 

 

RESOURCES

 

http://www.wohl.com/aspexec.htm

 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnasp/html/msdn

 

http://www.dynamic101.com/asp

 

http://host.linuxasphoting.com