Page 194 - DCAP408_WEB_PROGRAMMING

Web Programming

Notes Server. The Active Desktop refers to the client side, or the user’s side, where HTML files are
displayed on a web browser. The Active Server refers to the server-side component. This consists
of pages that can be interpreted by the server, hence the term Active Server Pages.
Over the past couple of years, we have seen some major changes concerning the Internet. Initially,
the internet served as a medium for members of government and education institutions to
communicate. With the advent of the World Wide Web, the internet became a multimedia, user
friendly environment. Originally, the internet served as a place for enthusiasts to create personal
home pages, but as more people began going online the internet transformed into an
informational resource for the common man.
As the internet has matured into a viable market place, Website design has changed in step. In
the early days of the World Wide Web, HTML was used to create static Web pages. Now you can
create dynamic Web pages in many ways. Microsoft solution to building dynamic Web pages is
through the use of ACTIVE SERVER PAGES (ASP).
Active Server Pages contains two parts:
 Programmatic code
 Embedded HTML
The programmatic code can be written in a number of scripting languages.

Did u know? What is Scripting Language?
Scripting language is a particular syntax used to execute commands on a computer.
Some popular Web related scripting languages include VBScript and JavaScript. When creating
an ASP page, you can use one of four programming languages:
 VBScript-Similar to visual basic syntax, the most commonly used scripting language for
active server pages.

 Jscript-Similar to java script.
 PerlScript-Similar to Perl.
 Python-A powerful scripting language commonly used for Web development.
Most ASP pages are created using VBScript as it has the most English-like syntax of the four
scripting languages and is similar to Visual basic syntax.
ASP page contain embedded HTML. This allows for existing static Web pages to be easily
converted into dynamic ASP pages. An ASP page must contain an .ASP extension.

Notes Many large Websites use active server pages to serve dynamic Web content. For
example, Buy.com and Dell.com use active server pages to build interactive, dynamic
Web sites.
Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
1. The Active Platform reflects Microsoft’s ideas about how a desktop computer and a
……………… computer should communicate.

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