Introduction to Active Server Pages

1
Introduction to Active Server Pages

• Presented by,
• Jeff Randolph
• STC-Berkeley
• February 12, 2003

2
Objectives

• What is ASP?
• Compare and contrast ASP with standard HTML
• Compare ASP to client-side and server-side
  scripting languages
• Identify how ASP fits into the major current
  Microsoft language, installed code base, and
  technology scheme

3
Objectives (continued)

• Tools you need to create ASP applications
• Reference tools
• Myths of ASP
• Some Major Sites Using ASP
• Sample ASP in action
• Conclusions and Q A

4
What is ASP?

• Active Server Pages
• A series of objects and components that are
  executed on the web server
• Uses a suite of technologies that allows
  dynamically-generated content
• Control of how content is generated from the
  server to the browsers

5
HTML Page Execution
You Request an HTML Pagewww.ocstc.org/resumes.htm
Server finds and downloads the page
Browser displays the page
6
ASP Page Execution
7
ASP Compared to Other Scripting Languages

• ASP and /PHP/Perl/CGI execution are roughly
  equivalent in execution sequence
• Compared to VBScript, ASP does not have to worry
  about browser incompatibility
• Compared to JavaScript, dont have to worry about
  browser versions or disabling
• Compared to Java, dont have to worry about
  whether JRE (or MVM) is installed

8
ASP and XML

• ASP can control the XML experience from beginning
  to end
• Controls the output for conflicting browsers
• Generate XML data
• Logically connect XML and standalone databases
• Control data output formatting that XML or HTML
  cannot control
• Sample Application Later

9
ASP and XML

• For more information
• My XML, Your Browser, by Charlie Heinemann,
  Microsoft Corporation. http//msdn.microsoft.com/l
  ibrary/en-us/dnexxml/html/xml011199.asp
• ASP Technology and the XML DOM, by Alan McBee,
  Microsoft Corporation. http//msdn.microsoft.com/l
  ibrary/default.asp?url/library/en-us/dnexxml/html
  /xml092099.asp

10
ASP in the Microsoft Language Family

• The ASP commands...

Visual Basic
VBScript
ASP

• But theres more to ASP than just code...

11
ASP in the Microsoft Language Family

• Some characterize ASP as more or less
  server-side VBScript
• Arguments supporting this statement
• Arguments against this statement

12
ASP in the Microsoft Language Family

• ASP can also interact with other Microsoft
  languages or applications
• Execute SQL commands
• Open and close databases
• Create and Modify database tables
• Control applications or COM objects written or
  compiled in other languages (VB, C, Java)
• Extract content from Excel or Word
• Control an XML document

13
ASP Object Model

• ASP itself is not Object-Oriented. ASP can use
  objects but cannot define new objects
• Composed of
• 5 objects
• 5 components

14
ASP Objects

• Request
• Response
• Server
• Application
• Session

15
ASP Components

• Scripting Objects Component
• ADO (ActiveX Data Objects) Component
• Ad Rotator Component
• Browser Capabilities Component
• Content Linking Component

16
ASP Object Model
Server
Request
ASP.DLL(if it finds ltgt, invokes Scripting
Objects Component)
YOU
Response
Application
Session
17
What Does ASP Look Like in Action?
18
What Does ASP Look Like in Action?

• What HTML looks like

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19
What Does ASP Look Like in Action?

• What the real code looks like

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Coloring from Microsoft FrontPage
20
Tools You Need to Create ASP Applications

• Web Server that Supports ASP
• Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS)Web
  services of Windows NT Server 4.0 and Windows
  2000 Server
• Microsoft Personal Web Server (PWS) Creates a
  fully functional subset of IIS 4.0 that can run
  on all other Windows OS
• PWS is an add-on for Windows NT, 95/98/Me
• Built-in to Windows 2000/XP PROFESSIONAL
• Fundamental knowledge of Visual Basic

21
Microsoft Personal Web Server
http//www.microsoft.com/ntserver/nts/downloads/re
commended/NT4OptPk/default.asp
22
Tools You Need to Create ASP Applications

• If you are working with database
  storage/retrieval
• Knowledge of Access, SQL Server, etc. (to create
  databases and tables)
• Knowledge of SQL commands (or at least how to use
  Access to generate SQL statements)
• Knowledge of the VB style of data handling
• Authoring tool(s)

23
ASP Application Development Tools

• Personal Preferences
• Microsoft FrontPage
• Allaire HomeSite
• Other Tools
• Microsoft Access
• Visual Basic
• Microsoft Visual InterDev
• Visual Studio .NET
• Other Non-Microsoft Tools (never used them)

24
ASP Reference Tools

• Microsoft Web Site (www.microsoft.com)
• Knowledge Base for different Microsoft products
  and Web developer issues
• Search Capability for programming language
  keywords and their syntax
• Online versions of Reference Books
• MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) Web site for
  subscribers and/or owners of VStudio
• MSDN Subscription on CD or DVD

25
ASP Reference ToolsMicrosoft Site Search
26
ASP Reference ToolsMicrosoft Site Search
27
ASP Reference ToolsMicrosoft Site Search
28
ASP Reference Tools

• ASP Reference Books
• ASP Developers Guide, by Greg BuczekISBN
  0-07-212274-3
• Beginning Active Server Pages, by Francis et
  alISBN 1-861001-34-7
• Professional Active Server Pages, by Francis et
  alISBN 1-861001-26-6

Online version of this book is on the Microsoft
Web sitehttp//www.microsoft.com/TechNet/iis/book
s.asp
29
ASP Reference Tools

• ASP Reference Books (continued)
• Using Active Server Pages, by Scot JohnsonISBN
  0-7897-1389-6
• VBScript
• VBScript Unleashed, by Petrousos, Schongar et
  alISBN 1-57521-124-6

30
Major Sites Using ASP

• Microsoftwww.microsoft.com
• NASDAQwww.nasdaq.com
• Beckman Coulterwww.beckmancoulter.com
• PC-Mac Connectionwww.pcconnection.com
• Ticketmasterwww.ticketmaster.com
• State Farm and Allstate Ins. Companieswww.statefa
  rm.com / www.allstate.com

31
ASP Page vs.ASP Application

• An ASP page
• Needs the .ASP file extension to indicate to the
  server that there is code the server must
  interpret
• A series of commands on one page
• An ASP application is a series of pages that are
  linked together through code and the content
  linking component to function as a logical unit

32
ASP Page vs.ASP Application

• How the information is handled
• Main communication device between pages and the
  server is by Forms
• Information can be transmitted or transferred
  from page to page in an application by
• Submitting a form
• Sending a URL-encoded string www/ocstc.org/meet
  ingadmin/edit.asp?ID5
• Storing data as a variable

33
Myths/Criticisms of ASP

• ASP is Microsoft/Windows centric
• ASP doesnt work with Netscape
• ASP pages are not recognized by Search Engines
• ASP is slow because its interpreted (or
  because its Microsoft)
• ASP doesnt work with client-side scripting
  languages, especially JavaScript

34
Criticism of ASPMicrosoft/Windows Centric
35
Criticisms of ASPNetscape
36
Criticisms of ASPSearch Engines
37
ASP is slow

• ObjectWatch NewsletterJ2EE versus .NET--The
  Latest Benchmarkhttp//www.objectwatch.com/issue_
  42.htm
• Conclusion ASP/.NET technology
• Hardware/Software infrastructure is LESS
• Development time is SHORTER
• Development cost is LESS
• Administrative cost is LESS
• Application performance is FASTER and can absorb
  HIGHER TRAFFIC

38
ASP Doesnt Work with Client-Side Scripting

• JavaScript commands will be processed first, then
  ASP
• ASP can be used in conjunction with JavaScript
  especially when verifying form data and where
  JavaScript verification can be difficult to
  program
• You can use ASP to assign values back into
  JavaScript code

39
ASP Samples

• ASP Pages
• Chapter Contacts
• OCSTC Home Page
• ASP Applications
• Chapter Meetings
• Job Information
• ASP and XML
• XML assignment

40
Conclusion ASP and the Technical Communicator

• ASP is another tool in your arsenal to control
  information
• ASP tests your self-esteem
• ASP may lead you to the dark side programming
• Future of ASP What Lies BeneathMicrosoft
  FrameWork.NET, a successor to Visual Studio
  compiled ASP

41
Questions?
42
NOT The End

• Presentation Linkhttp//www.ocstc.org/meeting_arc
  hive.asp
• Sample XML/ASP application
• ASP Position Paperhttp//www.ocstc.org/Jeff_XMLWo
  rk/XMLandASP.pdf
• Output Pagehttp//www.ocstc.org/Jeff_XMLWork/defa
  ult.asp
• XML Data Pagehttp//www.ocstc.org/Jeff_XMLWork/pr
  oducts.asp

43
A Final Thought1...

• Consider thisPrivate Sub Madness () Call
  MethodEnd Sub
• Translation?Theres a Method in the Madness

44
A Final Thought2...

• In the world of the Web, you have to choose
  between an organization W3C that wants to tell
  you how to design your pages and an organization
  Microsoft that wants you to design sites their
  way. I pray you have the wisdom to choose
  wisely.Vincent Flanders