A Peek At Asp

Arkansas State Police should not cringe at the catchy title. ASP is short for Active Server Pages. It is an ultra flexible programming language used in web applications. ASP runs off direction of a dynamic link library file (DLL) within the Windows© system file bank. All files with the asp extension are automatically filtered through this DLL. ASP allows alteration of script from a web page on the server side of the page, thus changing before it is even sent to the user.

The flexibility of ASP begins with the ability to write the code in the programmer's most comfortable style. The programmer can use Java Script, VB Script and many others. Most programmers, however, stick with Java Script or VB Script. The advantage here is the programmer is not limited to utilizing a set code unlike designing in other languages such as straight Java, VB, or HTML. The only stipulation is that the programmer must declare to the ASP at the start of code writing what language will be used, because at the current time, the ASP DLL is not intelligent enough to automatically read the programmer's mind. However, the ASP DLL can interpret both ASP and HTML in the same file.

With language flexibility also comes a more streamlined coding structure. Calling up a database using ASP may only require a couple of lines of code, where HTML may require, say, a page of code, therefore allowing the use of other scripts within an HTML page. Although HTML code is recommended to provide the user with page title and body, the code is not required to produce a functional HTML page.

Newer developments in ASP have garnered enhancements such as Microsoft's® integration of ASP and the .NET framework (ASP.NET). This allows for even faster performance and even greater potential. It provides on-demand editing, drag-and-drop server controls and many other features. Programmers are no able to construct user interfaces (UI's) that maintain separation between the application's logic structure and the presentation portion of the program code. Updates are deployed directly to the server by simple copying methods eliminating the need for a server restart.

Another capability of ASP.NET is simple validation