What
are Active Server Pages?
These are components that allow
web developers to create server-side scripted templates
that generate dynamic, interactive web server applications.
By embedding special programmatic codes in standard HTML
pages, a user can access data in a database, interact
with page objects such as Active-X or Java components,
or create other types of dynamic output. The HTML output
by an Active Server Page is totally browser independent
which means that it can be read equally well by Microsoft
Explorer, Netscape Navigator, or most other browsers.
ASP make it easy for a developer
to create everything from a website that is customised
to a viewers tastes, to a complex database application
that may access legacy data from a mainframe. Microsoft
has a white paper on Active Server Pages available for
download.
The following is a very simple
example of ASP:
<HTML> <HEAD>
<TITLE>Sample Web Page</TITLE> </HEAD>
<BODY> <P> Hello <%= Request.ServerVariables("REMOTE_USER")
%> The time here is <%= now %> Your browser is
<% = Request.ServerVariables("http_user_agent") %>
</BODY></HTML>
Are
Active Server Pages also CGI?
Yes and no!!. Active Server Pages
and CGI scripts do similar things - namely create dynamic
output on a web page or react to form input. However,
Active Server Pages run in the same process as the server,
and they are multi-threaded. All this leads to faster
speeds that CGI scripts can achieve and the ability to
handle large numbers of users.
Do
I need any special software?
No. Since Active Server Pages
(ASP) integrate their special coding with normal HTML
codes, any standard web authoring tool that allows editing
of HTML can be used. However, if you wish to integrate
ActiveX controls with your ASP, then you will need an
appropriate development environment such as Visual Basic
or Visual C++.
Are
there any additional charges for using Active Server Pages?
No.
Are
Active Server Pages secure?
Yes. They can not cause security
breaches with a browser on their own. However, malicious
Java or ActiveX apps can be embedded in them just like
they can be embeded in ordinary HTML pages. At the server
end, individual ASPs can be protected on a per user basis.
Contact support@xhost.co.uk
for help to implement any special security that may be
needed.
What
databases can I use with Active Server Pages?
You can use any ODBC-compliant
database such as FoxPro, Access, Paradox, etc. We also
provide our customers with Microsoft SQL Server if requested
(additional setup and monthly charges are involved). Please
contact support@xhost.co.uk
for help in setting up your databases.
You
provide ASP and Cold Fusion. Can I use both? Is one better
than the other?
You can use both in your website,
although not easily on the same page (you could embed
a Cold Fusion page in an ASP page if necessary). Although
ASP is powerful, Information Services recommends Cold
Fusion as it is a more mature and stable product. However,
there are things which Cold Fusion can not do that ASP
can. If you wish to discuss your needs and what may be
the best method of implementing your particular Intranet
application, contact support@xhost.co.uk.
What
are some internet resources on Active Server Pages?
This site is full of them. Check
the Tutorials, Manuals and Links pages.
