An ASP file can contain text, HTML tags and scripts. How Does ASP Differ from HTML?

Scripts in an ASP file are executed on the server. What you should already know Before you continue you should have some basic understanding of the following: HTML / XHTML A scripting language like JavaScript or VBScript When a browser requests an HTML file, the server returns the file When a browser requests an ASP file, IIS passes the request to the ASP engine. The ASP engine reads the ASP file, line by line, and executes the scripts in the file. Finally, the ASP file is returned to the browser as plain HTML

What can ASP do for you? Dynamically edit, change, or add any content of a Web page Respond to user queries or data submitted from HTML forms Access any data or databases and return the results to a browser Customize a Web page to make it more useful for individual users The advantages of using ASP instead of CGI and Perl, are those of simplicity and speed Provide security - since ASP code cannot be viewed from the browser Clever ASP programming can minimize the network traffic

If you want to study these subjects first, find the tutorials on our Home page. What is ASP? ASP stands for Active Server Pages ASP is a Microsoft Technology ASP is a program that runs inside IIS IIS stands for Internet Information Services IIS comes as a free component with Windows 2000 IIS is also a part of the Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack The Option Pack can be downloaded from Microsoft PWS is a smaller - but fully functional - version of IIS PWS can be found on your Windows 95/98 CD

Note: Because ASP scripts are executed on the server, the browser that displays the ASP file does not need to support scripting at all! Run ASP on Your Own PC You can run ASP on your own PC.

ASP Compatibility To run IIS you must have Windows NT 4.0 or later To run PWS you must have Windows 95 or later ChiliASP is a technology that runs ASP without Windows OS InstantASP is another technology that runs ASP without Windows

Your Windows PC as a Web Server Your own PC can act as a web server if you install IIS or PWS IIS or PWS turns your computer into a web server Microsoft IIS and PWS are free web server components

What is an ASP File? An ASP file is just the same as an HTML file An ASP file can contain text, HTML, XML, and scripts Scripts in an ASP file are executed on the server An ASP file has the file extension ".asp"

IIS - Internet Information Server IIS is a set of Internet-based services for servers created by Microsoft for use with Microsoft Windows. IIS comes with Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. It is also available for Windows NT. IIS is easy to install and ideal for developing and testing web applications. PWS - Personal Web Server

PWS is for older Windows system like Windows 95, 98, and NT. PWS is easy to install and can be used for developing and testing web applications including ASP. We don't recommend running PWS for anything else than training. It is outdated and has security issues. Windows Web Server Versions Windows Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate come with IIS 7 Windows Vista Home Premium comes with IIS 7 Windows Vista Home Edition does not support PWS or IIS Windows XP Professional comes with IIS 5.1 Windows XP Home Edition does not support IIS or PWS Windows 2000 Professional comes with IIS 5.0 Windows NT Professional comes with IIS 3 and also supports IIS 4 Windows NT Workstation supports PWS and IIS 3 Windows ME does not support PWS or IIS Windows 98 comes with PWS Windows 95 supports PWS

7.

In Windows Component selection, click Next to install IIS

After you have installed IIS, make sure you install all patches for bugs and security problems. (Run Windows Update). Test Your Web After you have installed IIS or PWS follow these steps:

1. Look for a new folder called Inetpub on your hard drive 2. Open the Inetpub folder, and find a folder named wwwroot
3. 4. 5. 6. Create a new folder, like "MyWeb", under wwwroot Write some ASP code and save the file as "test1.asp" in the new folder Make sure your Web server is running (see below) Open your browser and type "http://localhost/MyWeb/test1.asp", to view your first web page

Note: Look for the IIS (or PWS) symbol in your start menu or task bar. The program has functions for starting and stopping the web server, disable and enable ASP, and much more. How to install PWS on Windows 95, 98, and Windows NT For Windows 98: Open the Add-ons folder on your Windows CD, find the PWS folder and run setup.exe to install PWS. For Windows 95 or Windows NT: Download "Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack" from Microsoft, and install PWS. Test your web as described above. How to install IIS on Windows Server 2003

How to Install IIS on Windows Vista Follow these steps to install IIS on Windows Vista: 1. 2. 3. 4. Open the Control Panel from the Start menu Double-click Programs and Features Click "Turn Windows features on or off" (a link to the left) Select the check box for Internet Information Services (IIS), and click OK

After you have installed IIS, make sure you install all patches for bugs and security problems. (Run Windows Update). How to Install IIS on Windows XP and Windows 2000 Follow these steps to install IIS on Windows XP and Windows 2000: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. On the Start menu, click Settings and select Control Panel Double-click Add or Remove Programs Click Add/Remove Windows Components Click Internet Information Services (IIS) Click Details Select the check box for World Wide Web Service, and click OK

1. When you start the Windows Server 2003, you should see the Manage Your 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
8. Server wizard If the wizard is not displayed, go to Administrative Tools, and select Manage Your Server In the wizard, click Add or Remove a Role, click Next Select Custom Configuration, click Next Select Application Server role, click Next Select Enable ASP.NET, click Next Now, the wizard may ask for the Server 2003 CD. Insert the CD and let it run until it is finished, then click the Finish button The wizard should now show the Application Server role installed

9. Click on Manage This Application Server to bring up the

Application Server Management Console (MMC)

10. Expand the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, then

expand your server, and then the Web Sites folder 11. You should see the Default Web Site, and it should not say (Stopped) 12. IIS is running! 13. In the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager click on the Web Service Extensions folder 14. Here you will see that Active Server Pages are Prohibited (this is the default configuration of IIS 6) 15. Highlight Active Server Pages and click the Allow button 16. ASP is now active! ASP Basic Syntax Rules In our ASP tutorial, every example shows the hidden ASP source code. This will make it easier for you to understand how it works. Write Output to a Browser An ASP file normally contains HTML tags, just like an HTML file. However, an ASP file can also contain server scripts, surrounded by the delimiters <% and %>. Server scripts are executed on the server, and can contain any expressions, statements, procedures, or operators valid for the scripting language you prefer to use. The response.write Command The response.write command is used to write output to a browser. The following example sends the text "Hello World" to the browser: Example <html> <body> <% response.write("Hello World!") %> </body> </html>

There is also a shorthand method for the response.write command. The following example also sends the text "Hello World" to the browser: Example <html> <body> <% ="Hello World!" %> </body> </html>

Using VBScript in ASP You can use several scripting languages in ASP. However, the default scripting language is VBScript: <html> <body> <% response.write("Hello World!") %> </body> </html> The example above writes "Hello World!" into the body of the document. Using JavaScript in ASP To set JavaScript as the default scripting language for a particular page you must insert a language specification at the top of the page: <%@ language="javascript"%> <html> <body> <% Response.Write("Hello World!") %> </body> </html> Note: JavaScript is case sensitive! You will have to write your ASP code with uppercase letters and lowercase letters when the language requires it.

Other Scripting Languages ASP is shipped with VBScript and JScript (Microsoft's implementation of JavaScript). If you want to script in another language, like PERL, REXX, or Python, you will have to install script engines for them. ASP Variables Lifetime of Variables A variable declared outside a procedure can be accessed and changed by any script in the ASP file. A variable declared inside a procedure is created and destroyed every time the procedure is executed. No scripts outside the procedure can access or change the variable. To declare variables accessible to more than one ASP file, declare them as session variables or application variables. Session Variables Session variables are used to store information about ONE single user, and are available to all pages in one application. Typically information stored in session variables are name, id, and preferences. Application Variables Application variables are also available to all pages in one application. Application variables are used to store information about ALL users in one specific application. ASP Procedures In ASP you can call a JavaScript procedure from a VBScript and vice versa. Procedures The ASP source code can contain procedures and functions: Example <html> <head> <% sub vbproc(num1,num2) response.write(num1*num2)

end sub %> </head> <body> <p>Result: <%call vbproc(3,4)%></p> </body> </html>

Insert the <%@ language="language" %> line above the <html> tag to write the procedure/function in another scripting language: Example <%@ language="javascript" %> <html> <head> <% function jsproc(num1,num2) { Response.Write(num1*num2) } %> </head> <body> <p>Result: <%jsproc(3,4)%></p> </body> </html>

Differences Between VBScript and JavaScript When calling a VBScript or a JavaScript procedure from an ASP file written in VBScript, you can use the "call" keyword followed by the procedure name. If a procedure requires parameters, the parameter list must be enclosed in parentheses when using the "call" keyword. If you omit the "call" keyword, the parameter list must not be enclosed in parentheses. If the procedure has no parameters, the parentheses are optional.

When calling a JavaScript or a VBScript procedure from an ASP file written in JavaScript, always use parentheses after the procedure name. ASP Forms and User Input The Request.QueryString and Request.Form commands are used to retrieve user input from forms. User Input The Request object can be used to retrieve user information from forms. Example HTML form <form method="get" action="simpleform.asp"> First Name: <input type="text" name="fname" /><br /> Last Name: <input type="text" name="lname" /><br /><br /> <input type="submit" value="Submit" /> </form> User input can be retrieved with the Request.QueryString or Request.Form command. Request.QueryString The Request.QueryString command is used to collect values in a form with method="get". Information sent from a form with the GET method is visible to everyone (it will be displayed in the browser's address bar) and has limits on the amount of information to send. If a user typed "Bill" and "Gates" in the HTML form above, the URL sent to the server would look like this: http://www.w3schools.com/simpleform.asp?fname=Bill&lname=Gates Assume that "simpleform.asp" contains the following ASP script: <body> Welcome <% response.write(request.querystring("fname")) response.write(" " & request.querystring("lname")) %> </body> The browser will display the following in the body of the document: Welcome Bill Gates

Request.Form The Request.Form command is used to collect values in a form with method="post". Information sent from a form with the POST method is invisible to others and has no limits on the amount of information to send. If a user typed "Bill" and "Gates" in the HTML form above, the URL sent to the server would look like this: http://www.w3schools.com/simpleform.asp Assume that "simpleform.asp" contains the following ASP script: <body> Welcome <% response.write(request.form("fname")) response.write(" " & request.form("lname")) %> </body> The browser will display the following in the body of the document: Welcome Bill Gates Form Validation User input should be validated on the browser whenever possible (by client scripts). Browser validation is faster and reduces the server load. You should consider server validation if the user input will be inserted into a database. A good way to validate a form on the server is to post the form to itself, instead of jumping to a different page. The user will then get the error messages on the same page as the form. This makes it easier to discover the error. ASP Cookies A cookie is often used to identify a user. What is a Cookie? A cookie is often used to identify a user. A cookie is a small file that the server embeds on the user's computer. Each time the same computer requests a page with a browser, it will send the cookie too. With ASP, you can both create and retrieve cookie values. How to Create a Cookie? The "Response.Cookies" command is used to create cookies. Note: The Response.Cookies command must appear BEFORE the <html> tag. In the example below, we will create a cookie named "firstname" and assign the value "Alex" to it:

<% Response.Cookies("firstname")="Alex" %> It is also possible to assign properties to a cookie, like setting a date when the cookie should expire: <% Response.Cookies("firstname")="Alex" Response.Cookies("firstname").Expires=#May 10,2012# %> How to Retrieve a Cookie Value? The "Request.Cookies" command is used to retrieve a cookie value. In the example below, we retrieve the value of the cookie named "firstname" and display it on a page: <% fname=Request.Cookies("firstname") response.write("Firstname=" & fname) %> Output: Firstname=Alex A Cookie with Keys If a cookie contains a collection of multiple values, we say that the cookie has Keys. In the example below, we will create a cookie collection named "user". The "user" cookie has Keys that contains information about a user: <% Response.Cookies("user")("firstname")="John" Response.Cookies("user")("lastname")="Smith" Response.Cookies("user")("country")="Norway" Response.Cookies("user")("age")="25" %> Read all Cookies Look at the following code: <% Response.Cookies("firstname")="Alex" Response.Cookies("user")("firstname")="John" Response.Cookies("user")("lastname")="Smith" Response.Cookies("user")("country")="Norway" Response.Cookies("user")("age")="25" %>

Assume that your server has sent all the cookies above to a user. Now we want to read all the cookies sent to a user. The example below shows how to do it (note that the code below checks if a cookie has Keys with the HasKeys property): <html> <body> <% dim x,y for each x in Request.Cookies response.write("<p>") if Request.Cookies(x).HasKeys then for each y in Request.Cookies(x) response.write(x & ":" & y & "=" & Request.Cookies(x)(y)) response.write("<br />") next else Response.Write(x & "=" & Request.Cookies(x) & "<br />") end if response.write "</p>" next %> </body> </html> Output: firstname=Alex user:firstname=John user:lastname=Smith user:country=Norway user:age=25 What if a Browser Does NOT Support Cookies? If your application deals with browsers that do not support cookies, you will have to use other methods to pass information from one page to another in your application. There are two ways of doing this: 1. Add parameters to a URL You can add parameters to a URL: <a href="welcome.asp?fname=John&lname=Smith">Go to Welcome Page</a> And retrieve the values in the "welcome.asp" file like this: <% fname=Request.querystring("fname")

lname=Request.querystring("lname") response.write("<p>Hello " & fname & " " & lname & "!</p>") response.write("<p>Welcome to my Web site!</p>") %> 2. Use a form You can use a form. The form passes the user input to "welcome.asp" when the user clicks on the Submit button: <form method="post" action="welcome.asp"> First Name: <input type="text" name="fname" value="" /> Last Name: <input type="text" name="lname" value="" /> <input type="submit" value="Submit" /> </form> Retrieve the values in the "welcome.asp" file like this: <% fname=Request.form("fname") lname=Request.form("lname") response.write("<p>Hello " & fname & " " & lname & "!</p>") response.write("<p>Welcome to my Web site!</p>") %>

Session object for each new user, and destroys the Session object when the session expires. When does a Session Start? A session starts when: A new user requests an ASP file, and the Global.asa file includes a Session_OnStart procedure A value is stored in a Session variable A user requests an ASP file, and the Global.asa file uses the <object> tag to instantiate an object with session scope

When does a Session End? A session ends if a user has not requested or refreshed a page in the application for a specified period. By default, this is 20 minutes. If you want to set a timeout interval that is shorter or longer than the default, use the Timeout property. The example below sets a timeout interval of 5 minutes: <% Session.Timeout=5 %> Use the Abandon method to end a session immediately: <% Session.Abandon %> Note: The main problem with sessions is WHEN they should end. We do not know if the user's last request was the final one or not. So we do not know how long we should keep the session "alive". Waiting too long for an idle session uses up resources on the server, but if the session is deleted too soon the user has to start all over again because the server has deleted all the information. Finding the right timeout interval can be difficult! Tip: Only store SMALL amounts of data in session variables! Store and Retrieve Session Variables The most important thing about the Session object is that you can store variables in it. The example below will set the Session variable username to "Donald Duck" and the Session variable age to "50": <% Session("username")="Donald Duck" Session("age")=50 %>

ASP Session Object A Session object stores information about, or change settings for a user session. The Session object When you are working with an application on your computer, you open it, do some changes and then you close it. This is much like a Session. The computer knows who you are. It knows when you open the application and when you close it. However, on the internet there is one problem: the web server does not know who you are and what you do, because the HTTP address doesn't maintain state. ASP solves this problem by creating a unique cookie for each user. The cookie is sent to the user's computer and it contains information that identifies the user. This interface is called the Session object. The Session object stores information about, or change settings for a user session. Variables stored in a Session object hold information about one single user, and are available to all pages in one application. Common information stored in session variables are name, id, and preferences. The server creates a new

When the value is stored in a session variable it can be reached from ANY page in the ASP application: Welcome <%Response.Write(Session("username"))%> The line above returns: "Welcome Donald Duck". You can also store user preferences in the Session object, and then access that preference to choose what page to return to the user. The example below specifies a text-only version of the page if the user has a low screen resolution: <%If Session("screenres")="low" Then%> This is the text version of the page <%Else%> This is the multimedia version of the page <%End If%> Remove Session Variables The Contents collection contains all session variables. It is possible to remove a session variable with the Remove method. The example below removes the session variable "sale" if the value of the session variable "age" is lower than 18: <% If Session.Contents("age")<18 then Session.Contents.Remove("sale") End If %> To remove all variables in a session, use the RemoveAll method: <% Session.Contents.RemoveAll() %> Loop Through the Contents Collection The Contents collection contains all session variables. You can loop through the Contents collection, to see what's stored in it: <% Session("username")="Donald Duck" Session("age")=50 dim i For Each i in Session.Contents Response.Write(i & "<br />") Next %> Result:

username age If you do not know the number of items in the Contents collection, you can use the Count property: <% dim i dim j j=Session.Contents.Count Response.Write("Session variables: " & j) For i=1 to j Response.Write(Session.Contents(i) & "<br />") Next %> Result: Session variables: 2 Donald Duck 50 Loop Through the StaticObjects Collection You can loop through the StaticObjects collection, to see the values of all objects stored in the Session object: <% dim i For Each i in Session.StaticObjects Response.Write(i & "<br />") Next %>

ASP Application Object A group of ASP files that work together to perform some purpose is called an application. Application Object An application on the Web may consists of several ASP files that work together to perform some purpose. The Application object is used to tie these files together. The Application object is used to store and access variables from any page, just like the Session object. The difference is that ALL users share ONE Application object (with Sessions there is ONE Session object for EACH user).

The Application object holds information that will be used by many pages in the application (like database connection information). The information can be accessed from any page. The information can also be changed in one place, and the changes will automatically be reflected on all pages. Store and Retrieve Application Variables Application variables can be accessed and changed by any page in an application. You can create Application variables in "Global.asa" like this: <script language="vbscript" runat="server"> Sub Application_OnStart application("vartime")="" application("users")=1 End Sub </script> In the example above we have created two Application variables: "vartime" and "users". You can access the value of an Application variable like this: There are <% Response.Write(Application("users")) %> active connections. Loop Through the Contents Collection The Contents collection contains all application variables. You can loop through the Contents collection, to see what's stored in it: <% dim i For Each i in Application.Contents Response.Write(i & "<br />") Next %> If you do not know the number of items in the Contents collection, you can use the Count property: <% dim i dim j j=Application.Contents.Count For i=1 to j Response.Write(Application.Contents(i) & "<br />")

Next %> Loop Through the StaticObjects Collection You can loop through the StaticObjects collection, to see the values of all objects stored in the Application object: <% dim i For Each i in Application.StaticObjects Response.Write(i & "<br />") Next %> Lock and Unlock You can lock an application with the "Lock" method. When an application is locked, the users cannot change the Application variables (other than the one currently accessing it). You can unlock an application with the "Unlock" method. This method removes the lock from the Application variable: <% Application.Lock 'do some application object operations Application.Unlock %> ASP Including Files The #include Directive You can insert the content of one ASP file into another ASP file before the server executes it, with the #include directive. The #include directive is used to create functions, headers, footers, or elements that will be reused on multiple pages. How to Use the #include Directive Here is a file called "mypage.asp": <html> <body> <h3>Words of Wisdom:</h3> <p><!--#include file="wisdom.inc"--></p> <h3>The time is:</h3> <p><!--#include file="time.inc"--></p>

</body> </html> Here is the "wisdom.inc" file: "One should never increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything." Here is the "time.inc" file: <% Response.Write(Time) %> If you look at the source code in a browser, it will look something like this: <html> <body> <h3>Words of Wisdom:</h3> <p>"One should never increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything."</p> <h3>The time is:</h3> <p>11:33:42 AM</p> </body> </html> Syntax for Including Files To include a file in an ASP page, place the #include directive inside comment tags: <!--#include virtual="somefilename"--> or <!--#include file ="somefilename"--> The Virtual Keyword Use the virtual keyword to indicate a path beginning with a virtual directory. If a file named "header.inc" resides in a virtual directory named /html, the following line would insert the contents of "header.inc": <!-- #include virtual ="/html/header.inc" --> The File Keyword Use the file keyword to indicate a relative path. A relative path begins with the directory that contains the including file. If you have a file in the html directory, and the file "header.inc" resides in html\headers, the following line would insert "header.inc" in your file:

<!-- #include file ="headers\header.inc" --> Note that the path to the included file (headers\header.inc) is relative to the including file. If the file containing this #include statement is not in the html directory, the statement will not work. Tips and Notes In the sections above we have used the file extension ".inc" for included files. Notice that if a user tries to browse an INC file directly, its content will be displayed. If your included file contains confidential information or information you do not want any users to see, it is better to use an ASP extension. The source code in an ASP file will not be visible after the interpretation. An included file can also include other files, and one ASP file can include the same file more than once. Important: Included files are processed and inserted before the scripts are executed. The following script will NOT work because ASP executes the #include directive before it assigns a value to the variable: <% fname="header.inc" %> <!--#include file="<%fname%>"--> You cannot open or close a script delimiter in an INC file. The following script will NOT work: <% For i = 1 To n <!--#include file="count.inc"--> Next %> But this script will work: <% For i = 1 to n %> <!--#include file="count.inc" --> <% Next %> ASP The Global.asa file The Global.asa file The Global.asa file is an optional file that can contain declarations of objects, variables, and methods that can be accessed by every page in an ASP application. All valid browser scripts (JavaScript, VBScript, JScript, PerlScript, etc.) can be used within Global.asa. The Global.asa file can contain only the following: Application events Session events

10

<object> declarations TypeLibrary declarations the #include directive

</script> Note: Because we cannot use the ASP script delimiters (<% and %>) to insert scripts in the Global.asa file, we put subroutines inside an HTML <script> element. <object> Declarations It is possible to create objects with session or application scope in Global.asa by using the <object> tag. Note: The <object> tag should be outside the <script> tag! Syntax <object runat="server" scope="scope" id="id" {progid="progID"| classid="classID"}> .... </object> Parameter scope id ProgID Description Sets the scope of the object (either Session or Application) Specifies a unique id for the object An id associated with a class id. The format for ProgID is [Vendor.]Component[.Version] Either ProgID or ClassID must be specified. Specifies a unique id for a COM class object. Either ProgID or ClassID must be specified. Examples The first example creates an object of session scope named "MyAd" by using the ProgID parameter: <object runat="server" scope="session" id="MyAd" progid="MSWC.AdRotator"> </object> The second example creates an object of application scope named "MyConnection" by using the ClassID parameter: <object runat="server" scope="application" id="MyConnection" classid="Clsid:8AD3067A-B3FC-11CF-A560-00A0C9081C21"> </object> The objects declared in the Global.asa file can be used by any script in the application: GLOBAL.ASA:

Note: The Global.asa file must be stored in the root directory of the ASP application, and each application can only have one Global.asa file. Events in Global.asa In Global.asa you can tell the application and session objects what to do when the application/session starts and what to do when the application/session ends. The code for this is placed in event handlers. The Global.asa file can contain four types of events: Application_OnStart - Occurs when the FIRST user calls the first page in an ASP application. This event occurs after the Web server is restarted or after the Global.asa file is edited. The "Session_OnStart" event occurs immediately after this event. Session_OnStart - This event occurs EVERY time a NEW user requests his or her first page in the ASP application. Session_OnEnd - This event occurs EVERY time a user ends a session. A usersession ends after a page has not been requested by the user for a specified time (by default this is 20 minutes). Application_OnEnd - This event occurs after the LAST user has ended the session. Typically, this event occurs when a Web server stops. This procedure is used to clean up settings after the Application stops, like delete records or write information to text files. A Global.asa file could look something like this: <script language="vbscript" runat="server"> sub Application_OnStart 'some code end sub sub Application_OnEnd 'some code end sub sub Session_OnStart 'some code end sub sub Session_OnEnd 'some code end sub

ClassID

11

<object runat="server" scope="session" id="MyAd" progid="MSWC.AdRotator"> </object> You could reference the object "MyAd" from any page in the ASP application: SOME .ASP FILE: <%=MyAd.GetAdvertisement("/banners/adrot.txt")%> TypeLibrary Declarations A TypeLibrary is a container for the contents of a DLL file corresponding to a COM object. By including a call to the TypeLibrary in the Global.asa file, the constants of the COM object can be accessed, and errors can be better reported by the ASP code. If your Web application relies on COM objects that have declared data types in type libraries, you can declare the type libraries in Global.asa. Syntax <!--METADATA TYPE="TypeLib" file="filename" uuid="id" version="number" lcid="localeid" --> Parameter file Description Specifies an absolute path to a type library. Either the file parameter or the uuid parameter is required Specifies a unique identifier for the type library. Either the file parameter or the uuid parameter is required Optional. Used for selecting version. If the requested version is not found, then the most recent version is used Optional. The locale identifier to be used for the type library

ASP 0222 Invalid type library specification ASP 0223 Type library not found ASP 0224 Type library cannot be loaded ASP 0225 Type library cannot be wrapped Note: METADATA tags can appear anywhere in the Global.asa file (both inside and outside <script> tags). However, it is recommended that METADATA tags appear near the top of the Global.asa file. Restrictions Restrictions on what you can include in the Global.asa file: You cannot display text written in the Global.asa file. This file can't display information You can only use Server and Application objects in the Application_OnStart and Application_OnEnd subroutines. In the Session_OnEnd subroutine, you can use Server, Application, and Session objects. In the Session_OnStart subroutine you can use any built-in object

How to use the Subroutines Global.asa is often used to initialize variables. The example below shows how to detect the exact time a visitor first arrives on a Web site. The time is stored in a Session variable named "started", and the value of the "started" variable can be accessed from any ASP page in the application: <script language="vbscript" runat="server"> sub Session_OnStart Session("started")=now() end sub </script> Global.asa can also be used to control page access. The example below shows how to redirect every new visitor to another page, in this case to a page called "newpage.asp": <script language="vbscript" runat="server"> sub Session_OnStart Response.Redirect("newpage.asp") end sub </script> And you can include functions in the Global.asa file. In the example below the Application_OnStart subroutine occurs when the Web server starts. Then the Application_OnStart subroutine calls another subroutine named "getcustomers". The "getcustomers" subroutine opens a database and retrieves a record

uuid

version lcid Error Values

The server can return one of the following error messages: Error Code Description

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set from the "customers" table. The record set is assigned to an array, where it can be accessed from any ASP page without querying the database: <script language="vbscript" runat="server"> sub Application_OnStart getcustomers end sub sub getcustomers set conn=Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection") conn.Provider="Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0" conn.Open "c:/webdata/northwind.mdb" set rs=conn.execute("select name from customers") Application("customers")=rs.GetRows rs.Close conn.Close end sub </script>

End Sub Sub Session_OnEnd Application.Lock Application("visitors")=Application("visitors")-1 Application.UnLock End Sub </script> To display the number of current visitors in an ASP file: <html> <head> </head> <body> <p>There are <%response.write(Application("visitors"))%> online now!</p> </body> </html> ASP Sending e-mail with CDOSYS

Global.asa Example In this example we will create a Global.asa file that counts the number of current visitors. The Application_OnStart sets the Application variable "visitors" to 0 when the server starts The Session_OnStart subroutine adds one to the variable "visitors" every time a new visitor arrives The Session_OnEnd subroutine subtracts one from "visitors" each time this subroutine is triggered

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CDOSYS is a built-in component in ASP. This component is used to send e-mails with ASP. Sending e-mail with CDOSYS CDO (Collaboration Data Objects) is a Microsoft technology that is designed to simplify the creation of messaging applications. CDOSYS is a built-in component in ASP. We will show you how to use this component to send e-mail with ASP. How about CDONTs?

The Global.asa file: <script language="vbscript" runat="server"> Sub Application_OnStart Application("visitors")=0 End Sub Sub Session_OnStart Application.Lock Application("visitors")=Application("visitors")+1 Application.UnLock

Microsoft has discontinued the use of CDONTs on Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows 2003. If you have used CDONTs in your ASP applications, you should update the code and use the new CDO technology. Examples using CDOSYS Sending a text e-mail: <% Set myMail=CreateObject("CDO.Message") myMail.Subject="Sending email with CDO" myMail.From="[email protected]"

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myMail.To="[email protected]" myMail.TextBody="This is a message." myMail.Send set myMail=nothing %> Sending a text e-mail with Bcc and CC fields: <% Set myMail=CreateObject("CDO.Message") myMail.Subject="Sending email with CDO" myMail.From="[email protected]" myMail.To="[email protected]" myMail.Bcc="[email protected]" myMail.Cc="[email protected]" myMail.TextBody="This is a message." myMail.Send set myMail=nothing %> Sending an HTML e-mail: <% Set myMail=CreateObject("CDO.Message") myMail.Subject="Sending email with CDO" myMail.From="[email protected]" myMail.To="[email protected]" myMail.HTMLBody = "<h1>This is a message.</h1>" myMail.Send set myMail=nothing %> Sending an HTML e-mail that sends a webpage from a website: <% Set myMail=CreateObject("CDO.Message") myMail.Subject="Sending email with CDO" myMail.From="[email protected]" myMail.To="[email protected]" myMail.CreateMHTMLBody "http://www.w3schools.com/asp/" myMail.Send set myMail=nothing %> Sending an HTML e-mail that sends a webpage from a file on your computer: <% Set myMail=CreateObject("CDO.Message") myMail.Subject="Sending email with CDO" myMail.From="[email protected]" myMail.To="[email protected]" myMail.CreateMHTMLBody "file://c:/mydocuments/test.htm"

myMail.Send set myMail=nothing %> Sending a text e-mail with an Attachment: <% Set myMail=CreateObject("CDO.Message") myMail.Subject="Sending email with CDO" myMail.From="[email protected]" myMail.To="[email protected]" myMail.TextBody="This is a message." myMail.AddAttachment "c:\mydocuments\test.txt" myMail.Send set myMail=nothing %> Sending a text e-mail using a remote server: <% Set myMail=CreateObject("CDO.Message") myMail.Subject="Sending email with CDO" myMail.From="[email protected]" myMail.To="[email protected]" myMail.TextBody="This is a message." myMail.Configuration.Fields.Item _ ("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusing")=2 'Name or IP of remote SMTP server myMail.Configuration.Fields.Item _ ("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserver")="smtp.server.com" 'Server port myMail.Configuration.Fields.Item _ ("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserverport")=25 myMail.Configuration.Fields.Update myMail.Send set myMail=nothing %> ASP Response Object The ASP Response object is used to send output to the user from the server. Response Object The ASP Response object is used to send output to the user from the server. Its collections, properties, and methods are described below: Collections

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Collection Cookies

Description Sets a cookie value. If the cookie does not exist, it will be created, and take the value that is specified

Request Object When a browser asks for a page from a server, it is called a request. The Request object is used to get information from a visitor. Its collections, properties, and methods are described below: Collections Collection ClientCertificate Cookies Form QueryString ServerVariables Properties Property TotalBytes Description Returns the total number of bytes the client sent in the body of the request Description Contains all the field values stored in the client certificate Contains all the cookie values sent in a HTTP request Contains all the form (input) values from a form that uses the post method Contains all the variable values in a HTTP query string Contains all the server variable values

Properties Property Buffer CacheControl Description Specifies whether to buffer the page output or not Sets whether a proxy server can cache the output generated by ASP or not Charset Appends the name of a character-set to the content-type header in the Response object ContentType Sets the HTTP content type for the Response object Expires Sets how long (in minutes) a page will be cached on a browser before it expires ExpiresAbsolute Sets a date and time when a page cached on a browser will expire IsClientConnected Indicates if the client has disconnected from the server Pics Appends a value to the PICS label response header Status Specifies the value of the status line returned by the server Methods Method AddHeader AppendToLog BinaryWrite Clear End Flush Redirect Write Description Adds a new HTTP header and a value to the HTTP response Adds a string to the end of the server log entry Writes data directly to the output without any character conversion Clears any buffered HTML output Stops processing a script, and returns the current result Sends buffered HTML output immediately Redirects the user to a different URL Writes a specified string to the output

Methods Method BinaryRead Description Retrieves the data sent to the server from the client as part of a post request and stores it in a safe array

ASP Application Object A group of ASP files that work together to perform some purpose is called an application. The Application object is used to tie these files together. Application Object

ASP Request Object The Request object is used to get information from a visitor.

An application on the Web may consists of several ASP files that work together to perform some purpose. The Application object is used to tie these files together.

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The Application object is used to store and access variables from any page, just like the Session object. The difference is that ALL users share ONE Application object (with Sessions there is ONE Session object for EACH user). The Application object holds information that will be used by many pages in the application (like database connection information). The information can be accessed from any page. The information can also be changed in one place, and the changes will automatically be reflected on all pages. The Application object's collections, methods, and events are described below: Collections Collection Contents StaticObjects Description Contains all the items appended to the application through a script command Contains all the objects appended to the application with the HTML <object> tag

Session Object When you are working with an application on your computer, you open it, do some changes and then you close it. This is much like a Session. The computer knows who you are. It knows when you open the application and when you close it. However, on the internet there is one problem: the web server does not know who you are and what you do, because the HTTP address doesn't maintain state. ASP solves this problem by creating a unique cookie for each user. The cookie is sent to the user's computer and it contains information that identifies the user. This interface is called the Session object. The Session object stores information about, or change settings for a user session. Variables stored in a Session object hold information about one single user, and are available to all pages in one application. Common information stored in session variables are name, id, and preferences. The server creates a new Session object for each new user, and destroys the Session object when the session expires. The Session object's collections, properties, methods, and events are described below: Collections Collection Contents StaticObjects Description Contains all the items appended to the session through a script command Contains all the objects appended to the session with the HTML <object> tag

Methods Method Contents.Remove Contents.RemoveAll() Lock Unlock Description Deletes an item from the Contents collection Deletes all items from the Contents collection Prevents other users from modifying the variables in the Application object Enables other users to modify the variables in the Application object (after it has been locked using the Lock method)

Properties Property CodePage LCID Description Specifies the character set that will be used when displaying dynamic content Sets or returns an integer that specifies a location or region. Contents like date, time, and currency will be displayed according to that location or region Returns a unique id for each user. The unique id is generated by the server Sets or returns the timeout period (in minutes) for the Session object in this application

Events Event Application_OnEnd Application_OnStart Description Occurs when all user sessions are over, and the application ends Occurs before the first new session is created (when the Application object is first referenced)

SessionID Timeout

ASP Session Object A Session object stores information about, or change settings for a user session.

Methods Method Description

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Abandon Contents.Remove Contents.RemoveAll() Events Event Session_OnEnd Session_OnStart

Destroys a user session Deletes an item from the Contents collection Deletes all items from the Contents collection

ASP ASPError Object The ASPError object displays information about errors in scripts. The ASPError Object

Description Occurs when a session ends Occurs when a session starts

ASP Server Object The Server object is used to access properties and methods on the server. Server Object The ASP Server object is used to access properties and methods on the server. Its properties and methods are described below: Properties

The ASPError object was implemented in ASP 3.0 and is available in IIS5 and later. The ASPError object is used to display detailed information of any error that occurs in scripts in an ASP page. Note: The ASPError object is created when Server.GetLastError is called, so the error information can only be accessed by using the Server.GetLastError method. The ASPError object's properties are described below (all properties are read-only): Properties Property ASPCode ASPDescription Category Column Description Returns an error code generated by IIS Returns a detailed description of the error (if the error is ASP-related) Returns the source of the error (was the error generated by ASP? By a scripting language? By an object?) Returns the column position within the file that generated the error Returns a short description of the error Returns the name of the ASP file that generated the error Returns the line number where the error was detected Returns the standard COM error code for the error Returns the actual source code of the line where the error occurred

Property ScriptTimeout

Description Sets or returns the maximum number of seconds a script can run before it is terminated

Methods Method CreateObject Execute GetLastError() HTMLEncode MapPath Transfer URLEncode Description Creates an instance of an object Executes an ASP file from inside another ASP file Returns an ASPError object that describes the error condition that occurred Applies HTML encoding to a specified string Maps a specified path to a physical path Sends (transfers) all the information created in one ASP file to a second ASP file Applies URL encoding rules to a specified string

Description File Line Number Source

ASP FileSystemObject Object The FileSystemObject object is used to access the file system on a server. The FileSystemObject Object The FileSystemObject object is used to access the file system on a server. This object can manipulate files, folders, and directory paths. It is also possible to retrieve file system information with this object. The following code creates a text file (c:\test.txt) and then writes some text to the file:

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<% dim fs,fname set fs=Server.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") set fname=fs.CreateTextFile("c:\test.txt",true) fname.WriteLine("Hello World!") fname.Close set fname=nothing set fs=nothing %> The FileSystemObject object's properties and methods are described below: Properties Property Drives Description Returns a collection of all Drive objects on the computer

GetExtensionName GetFile GetFileName GetFolder GetParentFolderName GetSpecialFolder GetTempName MoveFile MoveFolder OpenTextFile

Returns the file extension name for the last component in a specified path Returns a File object for a specified path Returns the file name or folder name for the last component in a specified path Returns a Folder object for a specified path Returns the name of the parent folder of the last component in a specified path Returns the path to some of Windows' special folders Returns a randomly generated temporary file or folder Moves one or more files from one location to another Moves one or more folders from one location to another Opens a file and returns a TextStream object that can be used to access the file

Methods Method BuildPath CopyFile CopyFolder CreateFolder CreateTextFile DeleteFile DeleteFolder DriveExists FileExists FolderExists GetAbsolutePathName GetBaseName GetDrive GetDriveName Description Appends a name to an existing path Copies one or more files from one location to another Copies one or more folders from one location to another Creates a new folder Creates a text file and returns a TextStream object that can be used to read from, or write to the file Deletes one or more specified files Deletes one or more specified folders Checks if a specified drive exists Checks if a specified file exists Checks if a specified folder exists Returns the complete path from the root of the drive for the specified path Returns the base name of a specified file or folder Returns a Drive object corresponding to the drive in a specified path Returns the drive name of a specified path

ASP TextStream Object Previous Next Chapter

The TextStream object is used to access the contents of a text file. The TextStream Object The TextStream object is used to access the contents of text files. The following code creates a text file (c:\test.txt) and then writes some text to the file (the variable f is an instance of the TextStream object): <% dim fs,f set fs=Server.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") set f=fs.CreateTextFile("c:\test.txt",true) f.WriteLine("Hello World!") f.Close set f=nothing set fs=nothing %> To create an instance of the TextStream object you can use the CreateTextFile or OpenTextFile methods of the FileSystemObject object, or you can use the OpenAsTextStream method of the File object. The TextStream object's properties and methods are described below: Properties

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Property AtEndOfLine

AtEndOfStream Column Line Methods Method Close Read ReadAll ReadLine Skip SkipLine Write WriteLine WriteBlankLines The Drive Object

Description Returns true if the file pointer is positioned immediately before the end-of-line marker in a TextStream file, and false if not Returns true if the file pointer is at the end of a TextStream file, and false if not Returns the column number of the current character position in an input stream Returns the current line number in a TextStream file

Property AvailableSpace DriveLetter DriveType FileSystem FreeSpace IsReady Path

Description Closes an open TextStream file Reads a specified number of characters from a TextStream file and returns the result Reads an entire TextStream file and returns the result Reads one line from a TextStream file and returns the result Skips a specified number of characters when reading a TextStream file Skips the next line when reading a TextStream file Writes a specified text to a TextStream file Writes a specified text and a new-line character to a TextStream file Writes a specified number of new-line character to a TextStream file

RootFolder SerialNumber ShareName TotalSize VolumeName ASP File Object

Description Returns the amount of available space to a user on a specified drive or network share Returns one uppercase letter that identifies the local drive or a network share Returns the type of a specified drive Returns the file system in use for a specified drive Returns the amount of free space to a user on a specified drive or network share Returns true if the specified drive is ready and false if not Returns an uppercase letter followed by a colon that indicates the path name for a specified drive Returns a Folder object that represents the root folder of a specified drive Returns the serial number of a specified drive Returns the network share name for a specified drive Returns the total size of a specified drive or network share Sets or returns the volume name of a specified drive

The File object is used to return information about a specified file. The File Object The File object is used to return information about a specified file. To work with the properties and methods of the File object, you will have to create an instance of the File object through the FileSystemObject object. First; create a FileSystemObject object and then instantiate the File object through the GetFile method of the FileSystemObject object or through the Files property of the Folder object. The following code uses the GetFile method of the FileSystemObject object to instantiate the File object and the DateCreated property to return the date when the specified file was created: Example <% Dim fs,f Set fs=Server.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") Set f=fs.GetFile("c:\test.txt")

The Drive object is used to return information about a local disk drive or a network share. The Drive object can return information about a drive's type of file system, free space, serial number, volume name, and more. Note: You cannot return information about a drive's content with the Drive object. For this purpose you will have to use the Folder object. To work with the properties of the Drive object, you will have to create an instance of the Drive object through the FileSystemObject object. First; create a FileSystemObject object and then instantiate the Drive object through the GetDrive method or the Drives property of the FileSystemObject object. The Drive object's properties are described below: Properties

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Response.Write("File created: " & f.DateCreated) set f=nothing set fs=nothing %>

ASP Folder Object Previous Next Chapter

The Folder Object is used to return information about a specified folder. The File object's properties and methods are described below: Properties Property Attributes DateCreated DateLastAccessed DateLastModified Drive Name ParentFolder Path ShortName ShortPath Size Type Methods Method Copy Delete Move OpenAsTextStream Description Copies a specified file from one location to another Deletes a specified file Moves a specified file from one location to another Opens a specified file and returns a TextStream object to access the file Description Sets or returns the attributes of a specified file Returns the date and time when a specified file was created Returns the date and time when a specified file was last accessed Returns the date and time when a specified file was last modified Returns the drive letter of the drive where a specified file or folder resides Sets or returns the name of a specified file Returns the folder object for the parent of the specified file Returns the path for a specified file Returns the short name of a specified file (the 8.3 naming convention) Returns the short path of a specified file (the 8.3 naming convention) Returns the size, in bytes, of a specified file Returns the type of a specified file The Folder Object The Folder object is used to return information about a specified folder. To work with the properties and methods of the Folder object, you will have to create an instance of the Folder object through the FileSystemObject object. First; create a FileSystemObject object and then instantiate the Folder object through the GetFolder method of the FileSystemObject object. The following code uses the GetFolder method of the FileSystemObject object to instantiate the Folder object and the DateCreated property to return the date when the specified folder was created: <% Dim fs,fo Set fs=Server.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") Set fo=fs.GetFolder("c:\test") Response.Write("Folder created: " & fo.DateCreated) set fo=nothing set fs=nothing %> Output: Folder created: 10/22/2008 10:01:19 AM The Folder object's collections, properties, and methods are described below: Collections Collection Files SubFolders Properties Property Attributes DateCreated Description Sets or returns the attributes of a specified folder Returns the date and time when a specified folder was Description Returns a collection of all the files in a specified folder Returns a collection of all subfolders in a specified folder

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created DateLastAccessed Returns the date and time when a specified folder was last accessed DateLastModified Returns the date and time when a specified folder was last modified Drive Returns the drive letter of the drive where the specified folder resides IsRootFolder Returns true if a folder is the root folder and false if not Name Sets or returns the name of a specified folder ParentFolder Returns the parent folder of a specified folder Path Returns the path for a specified folder ShortName Returns the short name of a specified folder (the 8.3 naming convention) ShortPath Returns the short path of a specified folder (the 8.3 naming convention) Size Returns the size of a specified folder Type Returns the type of a specified folder Methods Method Copy Delete Move CreateTextFile Description Copies a specified folder from one location to another Deletes a specified folder Moves a specified folder from one location to another Creates a new text file in the specified folder and returns a TextStream object to access the file

Comparing Dictionaries and Arrays: Keys are used to identify the items in a Dictionary object You do not have to call ReDim to change the size of the Dictionary object When deleting an item from a Dictionary, the remaining items will automatically shift up Dictionaries cannot be multidimensional, Arrays can Dictionaries have more built-in functions than Arrays Dictionaries work better than arrays on accessing random elements frequently Dictionaries work better than arrays on locating items by their content

The following example creates a Dictionary object, adds some key/item pairs to it, and retrieves the item value for the key gr: <% Dim d Set d=Server.CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary") d.Add "re","Red" d.Add "gr","Green" d.Add "bl","Blue" d.Add "pi","Pink" Response.Write("The value of key gr is: " & d.Item("gr")) %> Output: The value of key gr is: Green The Dictionary object's properties and methods are described below: Properties Property CompareMode Description Sets or returns the comparison mode for comparing keys in a Dictionary object Returns the number of key/item pairs in a Dictionary object Sets or returns the value of an item in a Dictionary object Sets a new key value for an existing key value in a Dictionary object

ASP Dictionary Object The Dictionary object stores information in name/value pairs. The Dictionary Object The Dictionary object is used to store information in name/value pairs (referred to as key and item). The Dictionary object might seem similar to Arrays, however, the Dictionary object is a more desirable solution to manipulate related data. Count Item Key

Methods Method Description

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Add Exists Items Keys Remove RemoveAll ASP ADO

Adds a new key/item pair to a Dictionary object Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether a specified key exists in the Dictionary object Returns an array of all the items in a Dictionary object Returns an array of all the keys in a Dictionary object Removes one specified key/item pair from the Dictionary object Removes all the key/item pairs in the Dictionary object

The ASP AdRotator component creates an AdRotator object that displays a different image each time a user enters or refreshes a page. A text file includes information about the images. Syntax <% set adrotator=server.createobject("MSWC.AdRotator") adrotator.GetAdvertisement("textfile.txt") %> ASP AdRotator Example

ADO can be used to access databases from your web pages. Accessing a Database from an ASP Page The common way to access a database from inside an ASP page is to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Create an ADO connection to a database Open the database connection Create an ADO recordset Open the recordset Extract the data you need from the recordset Close the recordset Close the connection

What is ADO? ADO is a Microsoft technology ADO stands for ActiveX Data Objects ADO is a Microsoft Active-X component ADO is automatically installed with Microsoft IIS ADO is a programming interface to access data in a database

ASP AdRotator Component Previous ASP AdRotator Component Next Chapter

Assume that we have the following text file, named "ads.txt": REDIRECT banners.asp * w3s.gif http://www.w3schools.com Free Tutorials from W3Schools 50 xmlspy.gif http://www.altova.com XML Editor from Altova 50 The lines below the asterisk in the text file above specifies the name of the images (ads) to be displayed, the hyperlink addresses, the alternate text (for the images), and the display rates (in percent). The first line in the text file above specifies what to happen when a visitor clicks on one of the images. The redirection page (banners.asp) will receive a querystring with the URL to redirect to. Tip: To specify the height, width, and border of the image, you can insert the following lines under REDIRECT: REDIRECT banners.asp WIDTH 468 HEIGHT 60 BORDER 0 * w3s.gif ... The "banners.asp" file looks like this: Example <%

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url=Request.QueryString("url") If url<>"" then Response.Redirect(url) %> <html> <body> <% set adrotator=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.AdRotator") response.write(adrotator.GetAdvertisement("textfile.txt")) %> </body> </html>

ASP Browser Capabilities Component Previous Next Chapter

ASP Browser Capabilities Component The ASP Browser Capabilities component creates a BrowserType object that determines the type, capabilities and version number of a visitor's browser. When a browser connects to a server, a User Agent header is also sent to the server. This header contains information about the browser. The BrowserType object compares the information in the header with information in a file on the server called "Browscap.ini". If there is a match between the browser type and version number in the header and the information in the "Browsercap.ini" file, the BrowserType object can be used to list the properties of the matching browser. If there is no match for the browser type and version number in the Browscap.ini file, it will set every property to "UNKNOWN". Syntax <% Set MyBrow=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.BrowserType") %> ASP Browser Capabilities Example The example below creates a BrowserType object in an ASP file, and displays some of the capabilities of your browser: Example <html> <body> <% Set MyBrow=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.BrowserType") %> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tr> <th>Client OS</th><th><%=MyBrow.platform%></th> </tr><tr> <td >Web Browser</td><td ><%=MyBrow.browser%></td> </tr><tr> <td>Browser version</td><td><%=MyBrow.version%></td>

That's all!! ASP AdRotator Properties Property Border Example <% set adrot=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.AdRotator") adrot.Border="2" Response.Write(adrot.GetAdvertisement("ads.txt")) %> Clickable <% set adrot=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.AdRotator") adrot.Clickable=false Response.Write(adrot.GetAdvertisement("ads.txt")) %> TargetFrameName of the <% frame to set adrot=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.AdRotator") display the adrot.TargetFrame="target='_blank'" advertisement Response.Write(adrot.GetAdvertisement("ads.txt")) %> ASP AdRotator Methods Method Description Example GetAdvertisementReturns <% HTML that set adrot=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.AdRotator") displays the Response.Write(adrot.GetAdvertisement("ads.txt")) advertisement %> in the page Description Specifies the size of the borders around the advertisement Specifies whether the advertisement is a hyperlink

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</tr><tr> <td>Frame support?</td><td><%=MyBrow.frames%></td> </tr><tr> <td>Table support?</td><td><%=MyBrow.tables%></td> </tr><tr> <td>Sound support?</td><td><%=MyBrow.backgroundsounds%></td> </tr><tr> <td>Cookies support?</td><td><%=MyBrow.cookies%></td> </tr><tr> <td>VBScript support?</td><td><%=MyBrow.vbscript%></td> </tr><tr> <td>JavaScript support?</td><td><%=MyBrow.javascript%></td> </tr> </table> </body> </html> Output: Client OS Web Browser Browser version Frame support? Table support? Sound support? Cookies support? VBScript support? JavaScript support? IE 5.0 True True True True True True WinNT

[propertyN=valueN] [Default Browser Capability Settings] [defaultProperty1=defaultValue1] [defaultPropertyN=defaultValueN] Parameter comments Description Optional. Any line that starts with a semicolon are ignored by the BrowserType object HTTPUserAgentHeaderOptional. Specifies the HTTP User Agent header to associate with the browser-property value statements specified in propertyN. Wildcard characters are allowed browserDefinition Optional. Specifies the HTTP User Agent header-string of a browser to use as the parent browser. The current browser's definition will inherit all of the property values declared in the parent browser's definition propertyN Optional. Specifies the browser properties. The following table lists some possible properties: ActiveXControls - Support ActiveX controls? Backgroundsounds - Support background sounds? Cdf - Support Channel Definition Format for Webcasting? Tables - Support tables? Cookies - Support cookies? Frames - Support frames? Javaapplets - Support Java applets? Javascript - Supports JScript? Vbscript - Supports VBScript? Browser - Specifies the name of the browser Beta - Is the browser beta software? Platform - Specifies the platform that the browser runs on

The Browscap.ini File The "Browsercap.ini" file is used to declare properties and to set default values for browsers. This section is not a tutorial on how to maintain "Browsercap.ini" files, it only shows you the basics; so you get an idea what a "Browsercap.ini" file is all about. The "Browsercap.ini" file can contain the following: [;comments] [HTTPUserAgentHeader] [parent=browserDefinition] [property1=value1]

valueN defaultPropertyN

Version - Specifies the version number of the browser Optional. Specifies the value of propertyN. Can be a string, an integer (prefix with #), or a Boolean value Optional. Specifies the name of the browser property to which to assign a default value if none of the defined HTTPUserAgentHeader values match the HTTP User

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Agent header sent by the browser defaultValueN Optional. Specifies the value of defaultPropertyN. Can be a string, an integer (prefix with #), or a Boolean value A "Browsercap.ini" file might look something like this: ;IE 5.0 [IE 5.0] browser=IE Version=5.0 majorver=#5 minorver=#0 frames=TRUE tables=TRUE cookies=TRUE backgroundsounds=TRUE vbscript=TRUE javascript=TRUE javaapplets=TRUE ActiveXControls=TRUE beta=False ;DEFAULT BROWSER [*] browser=Default frames=FALSE tables=TRUE cookies=FALSE backgroundsounds=FALSE vbscript=FALSE javascript=FALSE ASP Content Linking Component ASP Content Linking Component The ASP Content Linking component is used to create a quick and easy navigation system! The Content Linking component returns a Nextlink object that is used to hold a list of Web pages to be navigated. Syntax <% Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")

%> ASP Content Linking Example First we create a text file - "links.txt": asp_intro.asp ASP Intro asp_syntax.asp ASP Syntax asp_variables.asp ASP Variables asp_procedures.asp ASP Procedures The text file above contains the pages to be navigated. The pages must be listed in the same order you want them to be displayed, and it must also contain a description for each file name (use the tab key to separate file name from description). Note: If you want to add a page, or change the order of the pages in the list; you only have to modify the text file! The navigation will automatically be corrected! Then we create an include file, "nlcode.inc". The .inc file creates a NextLink object to navigate between the pages listed in "links.txt". "nlcode.inc": <% dim nl Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink") if (nl.GetListIndex("links.txt")>1) then Response.Write("<a href='" & nl.GetPreviousURL("links.txt")) Response.Write("'>Previous Page</a>") end if Response.Write("<a href='" & nl.GetNextURL("links.txt")) Response.Write("'>Next Page</a>") %> In each of the .asp pages listed in the text file "links.txt", put one line of code: <!-#include file="nlcode.inc"-->. This line will include the code in "nlcode.inc" on every page listed in "links.txt" and the navigation will work. ASP Content Linking Component's Methods Method GetListCount DescriptionExample Returns the <% number of dim nl,c items listed Set in the nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink") Content c=nl.GetListCount("links.txt") Linking List Response.Write("There are ") file Response.Write(c) Response.Write(" items in the list") %>

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Output: There are 4 items in the list Returns the <% index dim nl,c number of Set the current nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink") item in the c=nl.GetListIndex("links.txt") Content Response.Write("Item number ") Linking List Response.Write(c) file. The %> index number of Output: the first item is 1. 0 Item number 3 is returned if the current page is not in the Content Linking List file Returns the <% text dim nl,c description Set of the next nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink") item listed c=nl.GetNextDescription("links.txt") in the Response.Write("Next ") Content Response.Write("description is: ") Linking List Response.Write(c) file. If the %> current page is not found Next description is: ASP Variables in the list file it returns the text description of the last page on the list Returns the <%

GetListIndex

GetNthDescription

URL of the dim nl,c next item Set listed in the nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink") Content c=nl.GetNextURL("links.txt") Linking List Response.Write("Next ") file. If the Response.Write("URL is: ") current page Response.Write(c) is not found %> in the list file it Next URL is: asp_variables.asp returns the URL of the last page on the list Returns the <% description dim nl,c of the Nth Set page listed nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink") in the c=nl.GetNthDescription("links.txt",3) Content Response.Write("Third ") Linking List Response.Write("description is: ") file Response.Write(c) %> Third description is: ASP Variables Returns the <% URL of the dim nl,c Nth page Set listed in the nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink") Content c=nl.GetNthURL("links.txt",3) Linking List Response.Write("Third ") file Response.Write("URL is: ") Response.Write(c) %>

GetNextDescription

GetNthURL

GetNextURL

Third URL is: asp_variables.asp GetPreviousDescriptionReturns the <% text dim nl,c description Set of the nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink") previous c=nl.GetPreviousDescription("links.txt") item listed Response.Write("Previous ") in the Response.Write("description is: ")

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GetPreviousURL

Content Response.Write(c) Linking List %> file. If the current page Previous description is: ASP Variables is not found in the list file it returns the text description of the first page on the list Returns the <% URL of the dim nl,c previous Set item listed nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink") in the c=nl.GetPreviousURL("links.txt") Content Response.Write("Previous ") Linking List Response.Write("URL is: ") file. If the Response.Write(c) current page %> is not found in the list Previous URL is: asp_variables.asp file it returns the URL of the first page on the list

<% Set cr=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.ContentRotator") %> ASP Content Rotator Example The following example displays a different content each time a visitor views the Web page. First, create a text file named "textads.txt" and place it in a subfolder called "text". "textads.txt": %% #3 <h2>This is a great day!!</h2> %% #3 <img src="smiley.gif"> %% #4 <a href="http://www.w3schools.com">Visit W3Schools.com</a> Notice the #number at the beginning of each content string. This number is an optional parameter that indicates the relative weight of the HTML content string. In the text file above, the Content Rotator will display the first and second content string three-tenth of the time, and the third string four-tenths of the time. Then, create an ASP file, and insert the following code: Example <html> <body> <% set cr=server.createobject("MSWC.ContentRotator") response.write(cr.ChooseContent("text/textads.txt")) %> </body> </html>

ASP Content Rotator Component (ASP 3.0) ASP Content Rotator Component The ASP Content Rotator component creates a ContentRotator object that displays a different content string each time a visitor enters or refreshes a page. A text file, called the Content Schedule File, includes the information about the content strings. The content strings can contain HTML tags so you can display any type of content that HTML can represent: text, images, colors, or hyperlinks. Syntax

ASP Content Rotator Component's Methods Method Description Example ChooseContentGets and <% displays a dim cr content Set

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string

cr=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.ContentRotator") response.write(cr.ChooseContent("text/textads.txt")) %> Output:

GetAllContent Retrieves <% and displays dim cr all of the Set content cr=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.ContentRotator") strings in response.write(cr.GetAllContent("text/textads.txt")) the text file %> Output: This is a great day!! AJAX is Based on Internet Standards AJAX is based on internet standards, and uses a combination of: XMLHttpRequest object (to exchange data asynchronously with a server) JavaScript/DOM (to display/interact with the information) CSS (to style the data) XML (often used as the format for transferring data)

Visit W3Schools.com

AJAX Introduction AJAX is about updating parts of a web page, without reloading the whole page. What is AJAX? AJAX = Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. AJAX is a technique for creating fast and dynamic web pages. AJAX allows web pages to be updated asynchronously by exchanging small amounts of data with the server behind the scenes. This means that it is possible to update parts of a web page, without reloading the whole page. Classic web pages, (which do not use AJAX) must reload the entire page if the content should change. Examples of applications using AJAX: Google Maps, Gmail, Youtube, and Facebook tabs. How AJAX Works

AJAX applications are browser- and platform-independent! Google Suggest AJAX was made popular in 2005 by Google, with Google Suggest. Google Suggest is using AJAX to create a very dynamic web interface: When you start typing in Google's search box, a JavaScript sends the letters off to a server and the server returns a list of suggestions. Start Using AJAX Today In our ASP tutorial, we will demonstrate how AJAX can update parts of a web page, without reloading the whole page. The server script will be written in ASP. If you want to learn more about AJAX, visit our AJAX tutorial. ASP - AJAX and ASP Previous Next Chapter

AJAX is used to create more interactive applications.

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AJAX ASP Example The following example will demonstrate how a web page can communicate with a web server while a user type characters in an input field:

Example Start typing a name in the input field below: First name: Suggestions:

} xmlhttp.onreadystatechange=function() { if (xmlhttp.readyState==4 && xmlhttp.status==200) { document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML=xmlhttp.responseText; } } xmlhttp.open("GET","gethint.asp?q="+str,true); xmlhttp.send(); } </script> </head <body> <p><b>Start typing a name in the input field below:</b></p> <form> First name: <input type="text" onkeyup="showHint(this.value)" size="20" /> </form> <p>Suggestions: <span id="txtHint"></span></p> </body> </html> Source code explanation: If the input field is empty (str.length==0), the function clears the content of the txtHint placeholder and exits the function. If the input field is not empty, the showHint() function executes the following: Create an XMLHttpRequest object Create the function to be executed when the server response is ready Send the request off to a file on the server Notice that a parameter (q) is added to the URL (with the content of the input field)

Example Explained - The HTML Page When a user types a character in the input field above, the function "showHint()" is executed. The function is triggered by the "onkeyup" event: <html> <head> <script type="text/javascript"> function showHint(str) { if (str.length==0) { document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML=""; return; } if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {// code for IE7+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest(); } else {// code for IE6, IE5 xmlhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");

The ASP File The page on the server called by the JavaScript above is an ASP file called "gethint.asp". The source code in "gethint.asp" checks an array of names, and returns the corresponding name(s) to the browser: <% response.expires=-1 dim a(30)

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'Fill up array with names a(1)="Anna" a(2)="Brittany" a(3)="Cinderella" a(4)="Diana" a(5)="Eva" a(6)="Fiona" a(7)="Gunda" a(8)="Hege" a(9)="Inga" a(10)="Johanna" a(11)="Kitty" a(12)="Linda" a(13)="Nina" a(14)="Ophelia" a(15)="Petunia" a(16)="Amanda" a(17)="Raquel" a(18)="Cindy" a(19)="Doris" a(20)="Eve" a(21)="Evita" a(22)="Sunniva" a(23)="Tove" a(24)="Unni" a(25)="Violet" a(26)="Liza" a(27)="Elizabeth" a(28)="Ellen" a(29)="Wenche" a(30)="Vicky" 'get the q parameter from URL q=ucase(request.querystring("q")) 'lookup all hints from array if length of q>0 if len(q)>0 then hint="" for i=1 to 30 if q=ucase(mid(a(i),1,len(q))) then if hint="" then hint=a(i) else hint=hint & " , " & a(i)

end if end if next end if 'Output "no suggestion" if no hint were found 'or output the correct values if hint="" then response.write("no suggestion") else response.write(hint) end if %> Explanation: If there is any text sent from the JavaScript (strlen($q) > 0), the following happens: 1. 2. 3. 4. Find a name matching the characters sent from the JavaScript If no match were found, set the response string to "no suggestion" If one or more matching names were found, set the response string to all these names The response is sent to the "txtHint" placeholder

AJAX Database Example AJAX can be used for interactive communication with a database. AJAX Database Example The following example will demonstrate how a web page can fetch information from a database with AJAX: Example

Customer info will be listed here...

Example Explained - The HTML Page

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When a user selects a customer in the dropdown list above, a function called "showCustomer()" is executed. The function is triggered by the "onchange" event: <html> <head> <script type="text/javascript"> function showCustomer(str) { if (str=="") { document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML=""; return; } if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {// code for IE7+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest(); } else {// code for IE6, IE5 xmlhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); } xmlhttp.onreadystatechange=function() { if (xmlhttp.readyState==4 && xmlhttp.status==200) { document.getElementById("txtHint").innerHTML=xmlhttp.responseText; } } xmlhttp.open("GET","getcustomer.asp?q="+str,true); xmlhttp.send(); } </script> </head <body> <form> <select name="customers" onchange="showCustomer(this.value)"> <option value="">Select a customer:</option> <option value="ALFKI">Alfreds Futterkiste</option> <option value="NORTS ">North/South</option> <option value="WOLZA">Wolski Zajazd</option> </select> </form> <br />

<div id="txtHint">Customer info will be listed here...</div> </body> </html> Source code explanation: If no customer is selected (str.length==0), the function clears the content of the txtHint placeholder and exits the function. If a customer is selected, the showCustomer() function executes the following: Create an XMLHttpRequest object Create the function to be executed when the server response is ready Send the request off to a file on the server Notice that a parameter (q) is added to the URL (with the content of the dropdown list)

The ASP File The page on the server called by the JavaScript above is an ASP file called "getcustomer.asp". The source code in "getcustomer.asp" runs a query against a database, and returns the result in an HTML table: <% response.expires=-1 sql="SELECT * FROM CUSTOMERS WHERE CUSTOMERID=" sql=sql & "'" & request.querystring("q") & "'" set conn=Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection") conn.Provider="Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0" conn.Open(Server.Mappath("/db/northwind.mdb")) set rs=Server.CreateObject("ADODB.recordset") rs.Open sql,conn response.write("<table>") do until rs.EOF for each x in rs.Fields response.write("<tr><td><b>" & x.name & "</b></td>") response.write("<td>" & x.value & "</td></tr>") next rs.MoveNext loop response.write("</table>") %>

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ASP Quick Reference ASP Quick Reference from W3Schools. Print it, and fold it in your pocket. Basic Syntax ASP scripts are surrounded by <% and %>. To write some output to a browser: <html> <body> <% response.write("Hello World!") %> </body> </html> The default language in ASP is VBScript. To use another scripting language, insert a language specification at the top of the ASP page: <%@ language="javascript" %> <html> <body> <% .... %> Forms and User Input Request.QueryString is used to collect values in a form with method="get". Information sent from a form with the GET method is visible to everyone (it will be displayed in the browser's address bar) and has limits on the amount of information to send. Request.Form is used to collect values in a form with method="post". Information sent from a form with the POST method is invisible to others and has no limits on the amount of information to send. ASP Cookies

A cookie is often used to identify a user. A cookie is a small file that the server embeds on the user's computer. Each time the same computer requests for a page with a browser, it will send the cookie too. The Response.Cookies command is used to create cookies: <% Response.Cookies("firstname")="Alex" Response.Cookies("firstname").Expires="May 10,2002" %> Note: The Response.Cookies command must appear BEFORE the <html> tag! The "Request.Cookies" command is used to retrieve a cookie value: <% fname=Request.Cookies("firstname") response.write("Firstname=" & fname) %> Including Files You can insert the content of one ASP file into another ASP file before the server executes it, with the #include directive. The #include directive is used to create functions, headers, footers, or elements that will be reused on multiple pages Syntax: <!--#include virtual="somefile.inc"--> or <!--#include file ="somefile.inc"--> Use the virtual keyword to indicate a path beginning with a virtual directory. If a file named "header.inc" resides in a virtual directory named /html, the following line would insert the contents of "header.inc": <!-- #include virtual ="/html/header.inc" --> Use the file keyword to indicate a relative path. A relative path begins with the directory that contains the including file. If you have a file in the html directory, and the file "header.inc" resides in html\headers, the following line would insert "header.inc" in your file: <!-- #include file ="headers\header.inc" --> Use the file keyword with the syntax (..\) to include a file from a higher-level directory. Global.asa The Global.asa file is an optional file that can contain declarations of objects, variables, and methods that can be accessed by every page in an ASP application. Note: The Global.asa file must be stored in the root directory of the ASP application, and each application can only have one Global.asa file. The Global.asa file can contain only the following: Application events Session events

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<object> declarations TypeLibrary declarations the #include directive

version="versionnumber" lcid="localeid" --> The Session Object The Session object is used to store information about, or change settings for a user session. Variables stored in the Session object hold information about one single user, and are available to all pages in one application. Collections Contents - Holds every item added to the session with script commands StaticObjects - Holds every object added to the session with the <object> tag, and a given session Contents.Remove(item/index) - Deletes an item from the Contents collection Contents.RemoveAll() - Deletes every item from the Contents collection

Application and Session Events In Global.asa you can tell the application and session objects what to do when the application/session starts and what to do when the application/session ends. The code for this is placed in event handlers. Note: We do not use <% and %>, to insert scripts in the Global.asa file, we have to put the subroutines inside the HTML <script> tag: <script language="vbscript" runat="server"> sub Application_OnStart ' some code end sub sub Application_OnEnd ' some code end sub sub Session_OnStart ' some code end sub sub Session_OnEnd ' some code end sub </script> <object> Declarations It is also possible to create objects with session or application scope in Global.asa by using the <object> tag. Note: The <object> tag should be outside the <script> tag! Syntax: <object runat="server" scope="scope" id="id" {progid="progID"|classid="classID"}> ....... </object> TypeLibrary Declarations A TypeLibrary is a container for the contents of a DLL file corresponding to a COM object. By including a call to the TypeLibrary in the Global.asa file, the constants of the COM object can be accessed, and errors can be better reported by the ASP code. If your Web application relies on COM objects that have declared data types in type libraries, you can declare the type libraries in Global.asa. Syntax: <!--METADATA TYPE="TypeLib" file="filename" uuid="typelibraryuuid"

Properties Method Abandon - Kills every object in a session object CodePage - Sets the code page that will be used to display dynamic content LCID - Sets the locale identifier that will be used to display dynamic content SessionID - Returns the session id Timeout - Sets the timeout for the session

Application Object A group of ASP files that work together to perform some purpose is called an application. The Application object in ASP is used to tie these files together. All users share one Application object. The Application object should hold information that will be used by many pages in the application (like database connection information). Collections Contents - Holds every item added to the application with script commands StaticObjects - Holds every object added to the application with the <object> tag Contents.Remove - Deletes an item from a collection Contents.RemoveAll - Deletes every item from a collection

Methods

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Lock - Prevents a user from changing the application object properties Unlock - Allows a user to change the application object properties

The Response Object The Response Object is used to send output to the user from the server. Collection Cookies(name) - Sets a cookie value. If the cookie does not exist, it will be created, and take the value that is specified

End - Stops processing the script, and return the current result Flush - Sends buffered output immediately. If Response.Buffer is not set to true, this method will cause a run-time error Redirect(url) - Redirects the user to another url Write(data_to_write) - Writes a text to the user

Request Object When a browser asks for a page from a server, it is called a request. The Request Object is used to get information from the user. Collection ClientCertificate - Holds field values stored in the client certificate Cookies(name) - Holds cookie values Form(element_name) - Holds form (input) values. The form must use the post method QueryString(variable_name) - Holds variable values in the query string ServerVariables(server_variable) - Holds server variable values

Properties Buffer - Whether to buffer the output or not. When the output is buffered, the server will hold back the response until all of the server scripts have been processed, or until the script calls the Flush or End method. If this property is set, it should be before the <html> tag in the ASP file CacheControl - Sets whether proxy servers can cache the output or not. When set to Public, the output can be cached by a proxy server Charset(charset_name) - Sets the name of the character set (like "ISO8859-1") to the content type header ContentType - Sets the HTTP content type (like "text/html", "image/gif", "image/jpeg", "text/plain"). Default is "text/html" Expires - Sets how long a page will be cached on a browser before it expires ExpiresAbsolute - Sets a date and time when a page cached on a browser will expire IsClientConnected - Checks if the client is still connected to the server Pics(pics_label) - Adds a value to the pics label response header Status - Specifies the value of the status line

Property TotalBytes - Holds the total number of bytes the client is sending in the body of the request

Method BinaryRead - Fetches the data that is sent to the server from the client as part of a post request

Server Object The Server Object is used to access properties and methods on the server. Property Method CreateObject(type_of_object) - Creates an instance of an object Execute(path) - Executes an ASP file from inside another ASP file. After executing the called ASP file, the control is returned to the original ASP file ScriptTimeout - Sets how long a script can run before it is terminated

Methods AddHeader(name, value) - Adds an HTML header with a specified value AppendToLog string - Adds a string to the end of the server log entry BinaryWrite(data_to_write) - Writes the given information without any character-set conversion Clear - Clears the buffered output. Use this method to handle errors. If Response.Buffer is not set to true, this method will cause a run-time error

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GetLastError() - Returns an ASPError object that will describe the error that occurred HTMLEncode(string) - Applies HTML encoding to a string MapPath(path) - Maps a relative or virtual path to a physical path Transfer(path) - Sends all of the state information to another ASP file for processing. After the transfer, procedural control is not returned to the original ASP file URLEncode(string) - Applies URL encoding rules to a string

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