ASP overview

An ASP page, Active Server Page is a standard HTML page that contains embedded server scripts. When the page is published to a web server, the server can execute the script to perform an action such as updating a database with form results.
The Active server Page extension (*.asp) acts as a functional connection between the database files and the web pages. ASP's are special web pages used to create and display interactive content on web sites. ASP's may contain special scripts (including VBScript and JScript...) in additon to HTML and text. It can also use Active-X and other server components to develop dynamic pages. Asp's are a special type of a web operating system that allows webs to contain references to the server-side scripting performed on a remote web server. This allows users to upload executable files. Within the MMC Console, check the check box "Allow authors to upload executables" on the Server Extension tab. The MMC Console is at [ \Program files\Common files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\40\bin\fpmmc.msc] on your PC (computer).

The ASP.exe supports Microsoft, and other standard databases. Specifically, Front Page 2000 relies on Active Server Pages (The file has the extension *.asp) to develop and maintain a connection between the database files and the web pages. These special web pages are used to display and create interactive content on web sites. Web browsers share the responsibilities for loading standard HTML pages and their components; the loading of ASP's is more dependent on the web server. ASP's run at the server's processing speed. The user can link the database information (data) by using the Database Results Wizard. This process connects the forms . . . to the database. The Database Results Wizard is at the Front Page menu. Click the INSERT tab, point to DATABASE, and then point to RESULTS.

ASP's suport databases, and must be installed. If this condition is not met, the database menu option will be unavailable, and you will be unable to create wizard driven database queries for users. You must install Front Page Extensions and Active Server Pages (ASP) as a downloadable ASP.exe (http://www.microsoft.com) file.

Another problem, is if you install ASP.exe after the web pages were created on a specific computer, the data source connection established by Front Page cannot recognize and use ASP components now installed. You can download ASP.exe (www.microsoft.com). Obtain more information from the Google Search engine (www.google.com) and type ASP.exe in the search text box.

The real difference between the ASP's and the standard HTML web pages is in how the files are loaded or executed. A web browser shares responsibility for loading standard HTML pages and their components, and the successful loading of an ASP is dependent on the web server. Therefore, no particular browser is required to view ASP's, and they execute faster because the ASP's use server processor speed.

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