Friday, January 2, 2009

ASP Tutorial


What is ASP?

  • ASP stands for Active Server Pages
  • 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

ASP Compatibility

  • ASP is a Microsoft Technology
  • 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

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"

How Does ASP Differ from HTML?

  • 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
  • Provides security since your ASP code can not be viewed from the browser
  • Since ASP files are returned as plain HTML, they can be viewed in any browser
  • Clever ASP programming can minimize the network traffic

You can run ASP on your own PC without an external server. To do that, you must install Microsoft's Personal Web Server (PWS) or Internet Information Services (IIS) on your PC.


How to Run ASP on your own PC

You can run ASP on your own PC without an external server. To do that, you must install Microsoft's Personal Web Server (PWS) or Internet Information Services (IIS) on your PC.

If you are serious about using ASP, you should have at least Windows 98, Second Edition.

If you are really serious about using ASP, you should go for Windows 2000.


How to install PWS and run ASP on Windows 95

Personal Web Server (PWS) is not shipped with Windows 95 !!

To run ASP on Windows 95, you will have to download "Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack" from Microsoft.

Download the "Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack"


How to install PWS and run ASP on Windows NT

Personal Web Server (PWS) is not shipped with Windows NT !!

To run ASP on Windows NT, you will have to download "Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack" from Microsoft.

Download the "Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack"


How to install PWS and run ASP on Windows 98

  1. Open the Add-ons folder on your Windows98 CD, find the PWS folder and run the setup.exe file.
  2. An Inetpub folder will be created on your harddrive. Open it and find the wwwroot folder.
  3. Create a new folder, like "MyWeb", under wwwroot.
  4. Use a text editor to write some ASP code, save the file as "test1.asp" in the "MyWeb" folder.
  5. Make sure your Web server is running - The installation program has added a new icon on your task bar (this is the PWS symbol). Click on the icon and press the Start button in the window that appears.
  6. Open your browser and type in "http://localhost/MyWeb/test1.asp", to view your first ASP page.

How to install PWS and run ASP on Windows ME

Personal Web Server (PWS) is not included with Windows Me !!

Read article from Microsoft

A workaround!


How to install IIS and run ASP on Windows 2000

  1. From your Start Button, go to Settings, and Control Panel
  2. In the Control Panel window select Add/Remove Programs
  3. In the Add/Remove window select Add/Remove Windows Components
  4. In the Wizard window check Internet Information Services, click OK
  5. An Inetpub folder will be created on your harddrive
  6. Open the Inetpub folder, and find a folder named wwwroot
  7. Create a new folder, like "MyWeb", under wwwroot.
  8. Use a text editor to write some ASP code, save the file as "test1.asp" in the "MyWeb" folder
  9. Make sure your Web server is running - The installation program has added a new icon on your task bar (this is the IIS symbol). Click on the icon and press the Start button in the window that appears.
  10. Open your browser and type in "http://localhost/MyWeb/test1.asp", to view your first ASP page

How to install IIS and run ASP on Windows XP Professional

Note: You cannot run ASP on Windows XP Home Edition.

  1. Insert the Windows XP Professional CD-Rom into your CD-Rom Drive
  2. From your Start Button, go to Settings, and Control Panel
  3. In the Control Panel window select Add/Remove Programs
  4. In the Add/Remove window select Add/Remove Windows Components
  5. In the Wizard window check Internet Information Services, click OK
  6. An Inetpub folder will be created on your harddrive
  7. Open the Inetpub folder, and find a folder named wwwroot
  8. Create a new folder, like "MyWeb", under wwwroot.
  9. Use a text editor to write some ASP code, save the file as "test1.asp" in the "MyWeb" folder
  10. Make sure your Web server is running - its status can be checked by going into the Control Panel, then Administrative Tools, and double-click the "IIS Manager" icon
  11. Open your browser and type in "http://localhost/MyWeb/test1.asp", to view your first ASP page

How to install IIS and run ASP on Windows Server 2003 (Windows .NET Server)

  1. When you start the Windows Server 2003, you should see the Manage Your Server wizard
  2. If the wizard is not displayed, go to Administrative Tools, and select Manage Your Server
  3. In the wizard, click Add or Remove a Role, click Next
  4. Select Custom Configuration, click Next
  5. Select Application Server role, click Next
  6. Select Enable ASP.NET, click Next
  7. 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
  8. 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!

You cannot view the ASP source code by selecting "View source" in a browser, you will only see the output from the ASP file, which is plain HTML. This is because the scripts are executed on the server before the result is sent back to the browser.

In our ASP tutorial, every example displays the hidden ASP source code. This will make it easier for you to understand how it works.


Examples

Write text with ASP
How to write some text with ASP.

Add some HTML to the text
How to format the text with HTML tags.


The Basic Syntax Rule

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.


Write Output to a Browser

The response.write command is used to write output to a browser. The following example sends the text "Hello World" to the browser:

<%
response.write("Hello World!")
%>

There is also a shorthand method for the response.write command. The following example also sends the text "Hello World" to the browser:

<%="Hello World!"%>


VBScript

You can use several scripting languages in ASP. However, the default scripting language is VBScript:

<%
response.write("Hello World!")
%>

The example above writes "Hello World!" into the body of the document.


JavaScript

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"%>
<%
Response.Write("Hello World!")
%>

Note: Unlike VBScript - 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.

Important: Because the scripts are executed on the server, the browser that displays the ASP file does not need to support scripting at all!


A variable is used to store information.

If the variable is declared outside a procedure it can be changed by any script in the ASP file. If the variable is declared inside a procedure, it is created and destroyed every time the procedure is executed.


Examples

Declare a variable
Variables are used to store information. This example demonstrates how to declare a variable, assign a value to it, and use the value in a text.

Declare an array
Arrays are used to store a series of related data items. This example demonstrates how to declare an array that stores names.

Loop through the HTML headers
How to loop through the six headers in HTML.

Time-based greeting using VBScript
This example will display a different message to the user depending on the time on the server.

Time-based greeting using JavaScript
This example is the same as the one above, but the syntax is different.


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 a specific application.


A variable is used to store information.

If the variable is declared outside a procedure it can be changed by any script in the ASP file. If the variable is declared inside a procedure, it is created and destroyed every time the procedure is executed.


Examples

Declare a variable
Variables are used to store information. This example demonstrates how to declare a variable, assign a value to it, and use the value in a text.

Declare an array
Arrays are used to store a series of related data items. This example demonstrates how to declare an array that stores names.

Loop through the HTML headers
How to loop through the six headers in HTML.

Time-based greeting using VBScript
This example will display a different message to the user depending on the time on the server.

Time-based greeting using JavaScript
This example is the same as the one above, but the syntax is different.


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 a specific application.


In ASP you can call a JavaScript procedure from a VBScript and vice versa.


Examples

Call a procedure using VBScript
How to call a VBScript procedure from ASP.

Call a procedure using JavaScript
How to call a JavaScript procedure from ASP.

Call procedures using VBScript
How to call both a JavaScript procedure and a VBScript procedure in an ASP file.


Procedures

The ASP source code can contain procedures and functions:

<%
sub vbproc(num1,num2)
response.write(num1*num2)
end sub
%>

Result: <%call vbproc(3,4)%>

Insert the <%@ language="language" %> line above the tag to write procedures or functions in another scripting language than default:

<%@ language="javascript" %>
<%
function jsproc(num1,num2)
{
Response.Write(num1*num2)
}
%>

Result: <%jsproc(3,4)%>


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.


The Request.QueryString and Request.Form commands may be used to retrieve information from forms, like user input.


Examples

A form with method="get"
How to interact with the user, with the Request.QueryString command.

A form with method="post"
How to interact with the user, with the Request.Form command.

A form with radio buttons
How to interact with the user, through radio buttons, with the Request.Form command.


User Input

The Request object may be used to retrieve user information from forms.

Form example:

First Name: 

Last Name: 


User input can be retrieved in two ways: With Request.QueryString or Request.Form.


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 form example above, the URL sent to the server would look like this:

http://www.w3schools.com/simpleform.asp?fname=Bill&lname=Gates

Assume that the ASP file "simpleform.asp" contains the following script:

Welcome
<%
response.write(request.querystring("fname"))
response.write(" " & request.querystring("lname"))
%>

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 form example above, the URL sent to the server would look like this:

http://www.w3schools.com/simpleform.asp

Assume that the ASP file "simpleform.asp" contains the following script:

Welcome
<%
response.write(request.form("fname"))
response.write(" " & request.form("lname"))
%>

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 you reduce the server load.

You should consider using 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.


A cookie is often used to identify a user.


Examples

Welcome cookie
How to create a Welcome cookie.


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 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 10,2002#
%>


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):

<%
dim x,y
for each x in Request.Cookies
  response.write("

")

  if Request.Cookies(x).HasKeys then
    for each y in Request.Cookies(x)
      response.write(x & ":" & y & "=" & Request.Cookies(x)(y))
      response.write("
")
    next
  else
    Response.Write(x & "=" & Request.Cookies(x) & "
")
  end if
  response.write "

"
next
%>

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:

Go to Welcome Page

And retrieve the values in the "welcome.asp" file like this:

<%
fname=Request.querystring("fname")
lname=Request.querystring("lname")
response.write("

Hello " & fname & " " & lname & "!

")
response.write("

Welcome to my Web site!

")
%>

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:

First Name:  
Last Name: 

Retrieve the values in the "welcome.asp" file like this:

<%
fname=Request.form("fname")
lname=Request.form("lname")
response.write("

Hello " & fname & " " & lname & "!

")
response.write("

Welcome to my Web site!

")
%>


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.


The Session object

When you are working with an application, 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 start the application and when you end. But 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 client and it contains information that identifies the user. This interface is called 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. 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.


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 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, you can set the Timeout property.

    The example below sets a timeout interval of 5 minutes:

    <%
    Session.Timeout=5
    %>

    To end a session immediately, you may use the Abandon method:

    <%
    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: If you are using session variables, store SMALL amounts of data in them.


    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
    %>

    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>
      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 & "
    ")
    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) & "
    ")
    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 & "
    ")
    Next
    %>


    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.


    Application Object

    An application on the Web may be a group of ASP files. The ASP files work together to perform some purpose. The Application object in ASP 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, while with Sessions there is one Session object for EACH user.

    The Application object should hold information that will be used by many pages in the application (like database connection information). This means that you can access the information from any page. It also means that you can change the information 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 the application.

    You can create Application variables in "Global.asa" like this:

    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 & "
    ")
    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) & "
    ")
    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 & "
    ")
    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
    %>


    The #include directive is used to create functions, headers, footers, or elements that will be reused on multiple pages.


    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":

     
     

    Words of Wisdom:

    The time is:

     
     

    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:

    Words of Wisdom:

    "One should never increase, beyond what is necessary,

    the number of entities required to explain anything."

    The time is:

    11:33:42 AM


    Syntax for Including Files

    To include a file in an ASP page, place the #include directive inside comment tags:

    or

    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":

    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:

    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.

    You can also use the file keyword with the syntax (..\) to include a file from a higher-level directory.


    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"
    %>

    You cannot open or close a script delimiter in an INC file. This script will not work:

    <%
    For i = 1 To n
      
    Next
    %>

    But this script will work:

    <% For i = 1 to n %>
    <% Next %>


    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.


    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
    • declarations
    • TypeLibrary declarations
    • the #include directive
    • 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 - This event occurs when the FIRST user calls the first page from 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 user ends a session 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:

      Note: Because we cannot use the ASP script delimiters (<% and %>) to insert scripts in the Global.asa file, we put subroutines inside an HTML

      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":

      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 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:


      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

      The Global.asa file:

      To display the number of current visitors in an ASP file:

      There are <%response.write(Application("visitors"))%>
      online now!


      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?

      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="mymail@mydomain.com"
      myMail.To="someone@somedomain.com"
      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="mymail@mydomain.com"
      myMail.To="someone@somedomain.com"
      myMail.Bcc="someoneelse@somedomain.com"
      myMail.Cc="someoneelse2@somedomain.com"
      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="mymail@mydomain.com"
      myMail.To="someone@somedomain.com"
      myMail.HTMLBody = "

      This is a message.

      "
      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="mymail@mydomain.com"
      myMail.To="someone@somedomain.com"
      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="mymail@mydomain.com"
      myMail.To="someone@somedomain.com"
      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="mymail@mydomain.com"
      myMail.To="someone@somedomain.com"
      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="mymail@mydomain.com"
      myMail.To="someone@somedomain.com"
      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
      %>


      The ASP Response object is used to send output to the user from the server.


      Examples

      Write text with ASP
      This example demonstrates how to write text with ASP.

      Format text with HTML tags in ASP
      This example demonstrates how to combine text and HTML tags with ASP.

      Redirect the user to a different URL
      This example demonstrates how to redirect the user to a different URL.

      Show a random link
      This example demonstrates a link, each time you load the page, it will display one of two links: W3Schools.com! OR Refsnesdata.no! There is a 50% chance for each of them.

      Controlling the buffer
      This example demonstrates how you can control the buffer.

      Clear the buffer
      This example demonstrates how you can clear the buffer.

      End a script in the middle of processing and return the result
      This example demonstrates how to end a script in the middle of processing.

      Set how many minutes a page will be cached in a browser before it expires
      This example demonstrates how to specify how many minutes a page will be cached in a browser before it expires.

      Set a date/time when a page cached in a browser will expire
      This example demonstrates how to specify a date/time a page cached in a browser will expire.

      Check if the user is still connected to the server
      This example demonstrates how to check if a user is disconnected from the server.

      Set the type of content
      This example demonstrates how to specify the type of content.

      Set the name of the character set
      This example demonstrates how to specify the name of the character set.


      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

      Collection

      Description

      Cookies

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

      Properties

      Property

      Description

      Buffer

      Specifies whether to buffer the page output or not

      CacheControl

      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

      Description

      AddHeader

      Adds a new HTTP header and a value to the HTTP response

      AppendToLog

      Adds a string to the end of the server log entry

      BinaryWrite

      Writes data directly to the output without any character conversion

      Clear

      Clears any buffered HTML output

      End

      Stops processing a script, and returns the current result

      Flush

      Sends buffered HTML output immediately

      Redirect

      Redirects the user to a different URL

      Write

      Writes a specified string to the output


      The ASP Request object is used to get information from the user.


      QueryString Collection Examples

      Send query information when a user clicks on a link
      This example demonstrates how to send some extra query information to a page within a link, and retrieve that information on the destination page (which is, in this example, the same page).

      A QueryString collection in its simplest use
      This example demonstrates how the QueryString collection retrieves the values from a form. The form uses the GET method, which means that the information sent is visible to everybody (in the address field). The GET method also limits the amount of information that can be sent.

      How to use information from forms
      This example demonstrates how to use the values retrieved from a form. We use the QueryString collection. The form uses the get method.

      More information from a form
      This example demonstrates what the QueryString contains if several input fields have the same name. It shows how to separate input fields with equal names from each other. It also shows how to use the Count keyword to count the "name" property. The form uses the get method.

      Form Collection Examples

      A form collection in its simplest use
      This example demonstrates how the Form collection retrieves the values from a form. The form uses the POST method, which means that the information sent is invisible to others, and it has no limits (you can send a large amount of information).

      How to use information from forms
      This example demonstrates how to use the values retrieved from a form. We use the Form collection. The form uses the post method.

      More information from a form
      This example demonstrates what the Form collection contains if several input fields have the same name. It shows how to separate input fields with equal names from each other. It also shows how to use the Count keyword to count the "name" property. The form uses the post method.

      A form with radio buttons
      This example demonstrates how to interact with the user through radio buttons, with the Form collection. The form uses the post method.

      A form with checkboxes
      This example demonstrates how to interact with the user through checkboxes, with the Form collection. The form uses the post method.

      Other Examples

      Get the server variables
      This example demonstrates how to find out the visitors (yours) browser type, IP address, and more with the ServerVariables collection.

      Create a welcome cookie
      This example demonstrates how to create a Welcome Cookie with the Cookies Collection.

      Find the total number of bytes the user sent
      This example demonstrates how to use the TotalBytes property to find out the total number of bytes the user sent in the Request object.


      Request Object

      When a browser asks for a page from a server, it is called a request. The ASP Request object is used to get information from the user. Its collections, properties, and methods are described below:

      Collections

      Collection

      Description

      ClientCertificate

      Contains all the field values stored in the client certificate

      Cookies

      Contains all the cookie values sent in a HTTP request

      Form

      Contains all the form (input) values from a form that uses the post method

      QueryString

      Contains all the variable values in a HTTP query string

      ServerVariables

      Contains all the server variable values

      Properties

      Property

      Description

      TotalBytes

      Returns the total number of bytes the client sent in the body of the request

      Methods

      Method

      Description

      BinaryRead

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


      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.


      Application Object

      An application on the Web may be a group of ASP files. The ASP files work together to perform some purpose. The Application object in ASP 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, while with Sessions there is one Session object for EACH user.

      The Application object should hold information that will be used by many pages in the application (like database connection information). This means that you can access the information from any page. It also means that you can change the information 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

      Description

      Contents

      Contains all the items appended to the application through a script command

      StaticObjects

      Contains all the objects appended to the application with the HTML tag

      Methods

      Method

      Description

      Contents.Remove

      Deletes an item from the Contents collection

      Contents.RemoveAll()

      Deletes all items from the Contents collection

      Lock

      Prevents other users from modifying the variables in the Application object

      Unlock

      Enables other users to modify the variables in the Application object (after it has been locked using the Lock method)

      Events

      Event

      Description

      Application_OnEnd

      Occurs when all user sessions are over, and the application ends

      Application_OnStart

      Occurs before the first new session is created (when the Application object is first referenced)


      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.


      Examples

      Set and return the LCID
      This example demonstrates the "LCID" property. This property 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.

      Return the SessionID
      This example demonstrates the "SessionID" property. This property returns a unique id for each user. The id is generated by the server.

      A session's timeout
      This example demonstrates the "Timeout" property. This example sets and returns the timeout (in minutes) for the session.


      Session Object

      When you are working with an application, 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 start the application and when you end. But 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 client and it contains information that identifies the user. This interface is called 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. 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

      Description

      Contents

      Contains all the items appended to the session through a script command

      StaticObjects

      Contains all the objects appended to the session with the HTML tag

      Properties

      Property

      Description

      CodePage

      Specifies the character set that will be used when displaying dynamic content

      LCID

      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

      SessionID

      Returns a unique id for each user. The unique id is generated by the server

      Timeout

      Sets or returns the timeout period (in minutes) for the Session object in this application

      Methods

      Method

      Description

      Abandon

      Destroys a user session

      Contents.Remove

      Deletes an item from the Contents collection

      Contents.RemoveAll()

      Deletes all items from the Contents collection

      Events

      Event

      Description

      Session_OnEnd

      Occurs when a session ends

      Session_OnStart

      Occurs when a session starts


      The ASP Server object is used to access properties and methods on the server.


      Examples

      When was a file last modified?
      Checks when this file was last modified.

      Open a text file for reading
      This example opens the file "Textfile.txt" for reading.

      Homemade hit counter
      This example reads a number from a file, adds 1 to the number, and writes the number back to the file.


      Server Object

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

      Properties

      Property

      Description

      ScriptTimeout

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

      Methods

      Method

      Description

      CreateObject

      Creates an instance of an object

      Execute

      Executes an ASP file from inside another ASP file

      GetLastError()

      Returns an ASPError object that describes the error condition that occurred

      HTMLEncode

      Applies HTML encoding to a specified string

      MapPath

      Maps a specified path to a physical path

      Transfer

      Sends (transfers) all the information created in one ASP file to a second ASP file

      URLEncode

      Applies URL encoding rules to a specified string


      The ASPError object is used to display detailed information of any error that occurs in scripts in an ASP page.


      The ASPError Object

      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. 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):

      Note: The properties below can only be accessed through the Server.GetLastError() method.

      Properties

      Property

      Description

      ASPCode

      Returns an error code generated by IIS

      ASPDescription

      Returns a detailed description of the error (if the error is ASP-related)

      Category

      Returns the source of the error (was the error generated by ASP? By a scripting language? By an object?)

      Column

      Returns the column position within the file that generated the error

      Description

      Returns a short description of the error

      File

      Returns the name of the ASP file that generated the error

      Line

      Returns the line number where the error was detected

      Number

      Returns the standard COM error code for the error

      Source

      Returns the actual source code of the line where the error occurred


      The FileSystemObject object is used to access the file system on the server.


      Examples

      Does a specified file exist?
      This example demonstrates how to first create a FileSystemObject Object, and then use the FileExists method to check if the file exists.

      Does a specified folder exist?
      This example demonstrates how to use the FolderExists method to check if a folder exists.

      Does a specified drive exist?
      This example demonstrates how to use the DriveExists method to check if a drive exists.

      Get the name of a specified drive
      This example demonstrates how to use the GetDriveName method to get the name of a specified drive.

      Get the name of the parent folder of a specified path
      This example demonstrates how to use the GetParentFolderName method to get the name of the parent folder of a specified path.

      Get the file extension
      This example demonstrates how to use the GetExtensionName method to get the file extension of the last component in a specified path.

      Get file name
      This example demonstrates how to use the GetFileName method to get the file name of the last component in a specified path.

      Get the base name of a file or folder
      This example demonstrates how to use the GetBaseName method to return the base name of the file or folder, in a specified path.


      The FileSystemObject Object

      The FileSystemObject object is used to access the file system on the 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:

      <%
      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

      Description

      Drives

      Returns a collection of all Drive objects on the computer

      Methods

      Method

      Description

      BuildPath

      Appends a name to an existing path

      CopyFile

      Copies one or more files from one location to another

      CopyFolder

      Copies one or more folders from one location to another

      CreateFolder

      Creates a new folder

      CreateTextFile

      Creates a text file and returns a TextStream object that can be used to read from, or write to the file

      DeleteFile

      Deletes one or more specified files

      DeleteFolder

      Deletes one or more specified folders

      DriveExists

      Checks if a specified drive exists

      FileExists

      Checks if a specified file exists

      FolderExists

      Checks if a specified folder exists

      GetAbsolutePathName

      Returns the complete path from the root of the drive for the specified path

      GetBaseName

      Returns the base name of a specified file or folder

      GetDrive

      Returns a Drive object corresponding to the drive in a specified path

      GetDriveName

      Returns the drive name of a specified path

      GetExtensionName

      Returns the file extension name for the last component in a specified path

      GetFile

      Returns a File object for a specified path

      GetFileName

      Returns the file name or folder name for the last component in a specified path

      GetFolder

      Returns a Folder object for a specified path

      GetParentFolderName

      Returns the name of the parent folder of the last component in a specified path

      GetSpecialFolder

      Returns the path to some of Windows' special folders

      GetTempName

      Returns a randomly generated temporary file or folder

      MoveFile

      Moves one or more files from one location to another

      MoveFolder

      Moves one or more folders from one location to another

      OpenTextFile

      Opens a file and returns a TextStream object that can be used to access the file


      The TextStream object is used to access the contents of a text file.


      Examples

      Read textfile
      This example demonstrates how to use the OpenTextFile method of the FileSystemObject to create a TextStream Object. The ReadAll method of the TextStream Object reads from the opened text file.

      Read only a part of a textfile
      This example demonstrates how to only read a part of a TextStream file.

      Read one line of a textfile
      This example demonstrates how to read one line from a TextStream file.

      Read all lines from a textfile
      This example demonstrates how to read all the lines from a TextStream file.

      Skip a part of a textfile
      This example demonstrates how to skip a specified number of characters when reading the TextStream file.

      Skip a line of a textfile
      This example demonstrates how to skip a line when reading the TextStream file.

      Return line-number
      This example demonstrates how to return the current line number in a TextStream file.

      Get column number
      This example demonstrates how to get the column number of the current character in a 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

      Property

      Description

      AtEndOfLine

      Returns true if the file pointer is positioned immediately before the end-of-line marker in a TextStream file, and false if not

      AtEndOfStream

      Returns true if the file pointer is at the end of a TextStream file, and false if not

      Column

      Returns the column number of the current character position in an input stream

      Line

      Returns the current line number in a TextStream file

      Methods

      Method

      Description

      Close

      Closes an open TextStream file

      Read

      Reads a specified number of characters from a TextStream file and returns the result

      ReadAll

      Reads an entire TextStream file and returns the result

      ReadLine

      Reads one line from a TextStream file and returns the result

      Skip

      Skips a specified number of characters when reading a TextStream file

      SkipLine

      Skips the next line when reading a TextStream file

      Write

      Writes a specified text to a TextStream file

      WriteLine

      Writes a specified text and a new-line character to a TextStream file

      WriteBlankLines

      Writes a specified number of new-line character to a TextStream file


      The Drive object is used to return information about a local disk drive or a network share.


      Examples

      Get the available space of a specified drive
      This example demonstrates how to first create a FileSystemObject object, and then use the AvailableSpace property to get the available space of a specified drive.

      Get the free space of a specified drive
      This example demonstrates how to use the FreeSpace property to get the free space of a specified drive.

      Get the total size of a specified drive
      This example demonstrates how to use the TotalSize property to get the total size of a specified drive.

      Get the drive letter of a specified drive
      This example demonstrates how to use the DriveLetter property to get the drive letter of a specified drive.

      Get the drive type of a specified drive
      This example demonstrates how to use the DriveType property to get the drive type of a specified drive.

      Get the file system of a specified drive
      This example demonstrates how to use the FileSystem property to get the file system of a specified drive.

      Is the drive ready?
      This example demonstrates how to use the IsReady property to check whether a specified drive is ready.

      Get the path of a specified drive
      This example demonstrates how to use the Path property to get the path of a specified drive.

      Get the root folder of a specified drive
      This example demonstrates how to use the RootFolder property to get the root folder of a specified drive.

      Get the serialnumber of a specified drive
      This example demonstrates how to use the Serialnumber property to get the serialnumber of a specified drive.


      The Drive Object

      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 following example uses the GetDrive method of the FileSystemObject object to instantiate the Drive object and the TotalSize property to return the total size in bytes of the specified drive (c:):

      <%
      Dim fs,d
      Set fs=Server.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
      Set d=fs.GetDrive("c:")
      Response.Write("Drive " & d & ":")
      Response.Write("Total size in bytes: " & d.TotalSize)
      set d=nothing
      set fs=nothing
      %>

      Output:

      Drive c: Total size in bytes: 4293563392

      The Drive object's properties are described below:

      Properties

      Property

      Description

      AvailableSpace

      Returns the amount of available space to a user on a specified drive or network share

      DriveLetter

      Returns one uppercase letter that identifies the local drive or a network share

      DriveType

      Returns the type of a specified drive

      FileSystem

      Returns the file system in use for a specified drive

      FreeSpace

      Returns the amount of free space to a user on a specified drive or network share

      IsReady

      Returns true if the specified drive is ready and false if not

      Path

      Returns an uppercase letter followed by a colon that indicates the path name for a specified drive

      RootFolder

      Returns a Folder object that represents the root folder of a specified drive

      SerialNumber

      Returns the serial number of a specified drive

      ShareName

      Returns the network share name for a specified drive

      TotalSize

      Returns the total size of a specified drive or network share

      VolumeName

      Sets or returns the volume name of a specified drive


      The File object is used to return information about a specified file.


      Examples

      When was the file created?
      This example demonstrates how to first create a FileSystemObject object, and then use the DateCreated property of the File object to get the date and time a specified file was created.

      When was the file last modified?
      This example demonstrates how to use the DateLastModified property to get the date and time a specified file was last modified.

      When was the file last accessed?
      This example demonstrates how to use the DateLastAccessed property to get the date and time a specified file was last accessed.

      Return the attributes of a specified file
      This example demonstrates how to use the Attributes property to return the attributes of 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:

      <%
      Dim fs,f
      Set fs=Server.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
      Set f=fs.GetFile("c:\test.txt")
      Response.Write("File created: " & f.DateCreated)
      set f=nothing
      set fs=nothing
      %>

      Output:

      File created: 9/19/2001 10:01:19 AM

      The File object's properties and methods are described below:

      Properties

      Property

      Description

      Attributes

      Sets or returns the attributes of a specified file

      DateCreated

      Returns the date and time when a specified file was created

      DateLastAccessed

      Returns the date and time when a specified file was last accessed

      DateLastModified

      Returns the date and time when a specified file was last modified

      Drive

      Returns the drive letter of the drive where a specified file or folder resides

      Name

      Sets or returns the name of a specified file

      ParentFolder

      Returns the folder object for the parent of the specified file

      Path

      Returns the path for a specified file

      ShortName

      Returns the short name of a specified file (the 8.3 naming convention)

      ShortPath

      Returns the short path of a specified file (the 8.3 naming convention)

      Size

      Returns the size, in bytes, of a specified file

      Type

      Returns the type of a specified file

      Methods

      Method

      Description

      Copy

      Copies a specified file from one location to another

      Delete

      Deletes a specified file

      Move

      Moves a specified file from one location to another

      OpenAsTextStream

      Opens a specified file and returns a TextStream object to access the file

      The Folder Object is used to return information about a specified folder.


      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: 10/22/2001 10:01:19 AM

      The Folder object's collections, properties, and methods are described below:

      Collections

      Collection

      Description

      Files

      Returns a collection of all the files in a specified folder

      SubFolders

      Returns a collection of all subfolders in a specified folder

      Properties

      Property

      Description

      Attributes

      Sets or returns the attributes of a specified folder

      DateCreated

      Returns the date and time when a specified folder was 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

      Description

      Copy

      Copies a specified folder from one location to another

      Delete

      Deletes a specified folder

      Move

      Moves a specified folder from one location to another

      CreateTextFile

      Creates a new text file in the specified folder and returns a TextStream object to access the file


      The Folder Object is used to return information about a specified folder.


      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: 10/22/2001 10:01:19 AM

      The Folder object's collections, properties, and methods are described below:

      Collections

      Collection

      Description

      Files

      Returns a collection of all the files in a specified folder

      SubFolders

      Returns a collection of all subfolders in a specified folder

      Properties

      Property

      Description

      Attributes

      Sets or returns the attributes of a specified folder

      DateCreated

      Returns the date and time when a specified folder was 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

      Description

      Copy

      Copies a specified folder from one location to another

      Delete

      Deletes a specified folder

      Move

      Moves a specified folder from one location to another

      CreateTextFile

      Creates a new text file in the specified folder and returns a TextStream object to access the file


      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. Create an ADO connection to a database
      2. Open the database connection
      3. Create an ADO recordset
      4. Open the recordset
      5. Extract the data you need from the recordset
      6. Close the recordset
      7. 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

      Where to go next?

      If you want to study more ADO, read our ADO tutorial.


      Examples

      Simple AdRotator Example
      This example shows how to use the AdRotator component to display a different advertisement image, each time a user visits or refreshes the page.

      AdRotator - The Images are Hyperlinks
      This example shows how to use the AdRotator component to display a different advertisement image, each time a user visits or refreshes the page. In addition, the images are hyperlinks.


      ASP AdRotator Component

      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")
      %>


      Example

      Assume we have a file called "banners.asp". It looks like this:



      <%
      set adrotator=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.AdRotator")
      response.write(adrotator.GetAdvertisement("ads.txt"))
      %>

      The file "ads.txt" looks like this:

      *
      w3schools.gif
      http://www.w3schools.com/
      Visit W3Schools
      80
      microsoft.gif
      http://www.microsoft.com/
      Visit Microsoft
      20

      The lines below the asterisk in the file "ads.txt" specifies the images to be displayed, the hyperlink addresses, the alternate text (for the images), and the display rates in percent of the hits. We see that the W3Schools image will be displayed for 80 % of the hits and the Microsoft image will be displayed for 20 % of the hits in the text file above.

      Note: To get the links to work when a user clicks on them, we will have to modify the file "ads.txt" a bit:

      REDIRECT banners.asp
      *
      w3schools.gif
      http://www.w3schools.com/
      Visit W3Schools
      80
      microsoft.gif
      http://www.microsoft.com/
      Visit Microsoft
      20

      The redirection page (banners.asp) will now receive a querystring with a variable named URL containing the URL to redirect to.

      Note: 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
      *
      w3schools.gif
      ...
      ...

      The last thing to do is to add some lines of code to the "banners.asp" file:

      <%
      url=Request.QueryString("url")
      If url<>"" then Response.Redirect(url)
      %>



      <%
      set adrotator=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.AdRotator")
      response.write(adrotator.GetAdvertisement("textfile.txt"))
      %>

      That's all!!


      Properties

      Property

      Description

      Example

      Border

      Specifies the size of the borders around the advertisement

      <%
      set adrot=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.AdRotator")
      adrot.Border="2"
      Response.Write(adrot.GetAdvertisement("ads.txt"))
      %>

      Clickable

      Specifies whether the advertisement is a hyperlink

      <%
      set adrot=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.AdRotator")
      adrot.Clickable=false
      Response.Write(adrot.GetAdvertisement("ads.txt"))
      %>

      TargetFrame

      Name of the frame to display the advertisement

      <%
      set adrot=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.AdRotator")
      adrot.TargetFrame="target='_blank'"
      Response.Write(adrot.GetAdvertisement("ads.txt"))
      %>

      Methods

      Method

      Description

      Example

      GetAdvertisement

      Returns HTML that displays the advertisement in the page

      <%
      set adrot=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.AdRotator")
      Response.Write(adrot.GetAdvertisement("ads.txt"))
      %>


      Examples

      The Browser Capabilities Component
      This example shows how to determine the type, capabilities and version number of each browser visiting your site.


      ASP Browser Capabilities Component

      The ASP Browser Capabilities component creates a BrowserType object that determines the type, capabilities and version number of each browser that visits your site.

      When a browser connects to a server, an HTTP User Agent Header is also sent to the server. This header contains information about the browser (like browser type and version number). The BrowserType object then 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 sent in the header and the information in the "Browsercap.ini" file, you can use the BrowserType object 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")
      %>

      The example below creates a BrowserType object in an ASP file, and displays a table showing some of the capabilities of the current browser:

      <%
      Set MyBrow=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.BrowserType")
      %>
      Client OS<%=MyBrow.platform%>
      Web Browser<%=MyBrow.browser%>
      Browser version<%=MyBrow.version%>
      Frame support?<%=MyBrow.frames%>
      Table support?<%=MyBrow.tables%>
      Sound support?<%=MyBrow.backgroundsounds%>
      Cookies support?<%=MyBrow.cookies%>
      VBScript support?<%=MyBrow.vbscript%>
      JavaScript support?<%=MyBrow.javascript%>

      Output:

      Client OS

      WinNT

      Web Browser

      IE

      Browser version

      5.0

      Frame support?

      True

      Table support?

      True

      Sound support?

      True

      Cookies support?

      True

      VBScript support?

      True

      JavaScript support?

      True


      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]
      [propertyN=valueN] 
      [Default Browser Capability Settings]
      [defaultProperty1=defaultValue1]
      [defaultPropertyN=defaultValueN]

      Parameter

      Description

      comments

      Optional. Any line that starts with a semicolon are ignored by the BrowserType object

      HTTPUserAgentHeader

      Optional. 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
      • Version - Specifies the version number of the browser

      valueN

      Optional. Specifies the value of propertyN. Can be a string, an integer (prefix with #), or a Boolean value

      defaultPropertyN

      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 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


      Examples

      The Content Linking Component
      This example builds a table of contents.

      The Content Linking Component 2
      The example uses the Content Linking Component to navigate between the pages in a text file.


      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" )
      %>

      First we create a text file - "links.txt". This file contains the pages to be navigated. The pages must be listed in the same order you want them to be displayed, and it also must 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 to the list or change the order of the pages in the list; all you have to do is to modify the text file! The navigation will automatically be correct!

      "links.txt":

      asp_intro.asp ASP Intro
      asp_syntax.asp ASP Syntax
      asp_variables.asp ASP Variables
      asp_procedures.asp ASP Procedures

      On each of the pages listed above, put one line of code: . This line will include the code below on every page listed in "links.txt" and the navigation will work.

      "nlcode.inc":

      <%
      'Use the Content Linking Component 
      'to navigate between the pages listed
      'in links.txt
      dim nl
      Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
      if (nl.GetListIndex("links.txt")>1) then
        Response.Write("
        Response.Write("'>Previous Page")
      end if
      Response.Write("
      Response.Write("'>Next Page")
      %>

      The ASP Content Linking Component's methods are described below:

      Methods

      Method

      Description

      Example

      GetListCount

      Returns the number of items listed in the Content Linking List file

      <%
      dim nl,c
      Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
      c=nl.GetListCount("links.txt")
      Response.Write("There are ")
      Response.Write(c)
      Response.Write(" items in the list")
      %>

      Output:

      There are 4 items in the list

      GetListIndex

      Returns the index number of the current item in the Content Linking List file. The index number of the first item is 1. 0 is returned if the current page is not in the Content Linking List file

      <%
      dim nl,c
      Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
      c=nl.GetListIndex("links.txt")
      Response.Write("Item number ")
      Response.Write(c)
      %>

      Output:

      Item number 3

      GetNextDescription

      Returns the text description of the next item listed in the Content Linking List file. If the current page is not found in the list file it returns the text description of the last page on the list

      <%
      dim nl,c
      Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
      c=nl.GetNextDescription("links.txt")
      Response.Write("Next ")
      Response.Write("description is: ")
      Response.Write(c)
      %>

      Next description is: ASP Variables

      GetNextURL

      Returns the URL of the next item listed in the Content Linking List file. If the current page is not found in the list file it returns the URL of the last page on the list

      <%
      dim nl,c
      Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
      c=nl.GetNextURL("links.txt")
      Response.Write("Next ")
      Response.Write("URL is: ")
      Response.Write(c)
      %>

      Next URL is: asp_variables.asp

      GetNthDescription

      Returns the description of the Nth page listed in the Content Linking List file

      <%
      dim nl,c
      Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
      c=nl.GetNthDescription("links.txt",3)
      Response.Write("Third ")
      Response.Write("description is: ")
      Response.Write(c)
      %>

      Third description is: ASP Variables

      GetNthURL

      Returns the URL of the Nth page listed in the Content Linking List file

      <%
      dim nl,c
      Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
      c=nl.GetNthURL("links.txt",3)
      Response.Write("Third ")
      Response.Write("URL is: ")
      Response.Write(c)
      %>

      Third URL is: asp_variables.asp

      GetPreviousDescription

      Returns the text description of the previous item listed in the Content Linking List file. If the current page is not found in the list file it returns the text description of the first page on the list

      <%
      dim nl,c
      Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
      c=nl.GetPreviousDescription("links.txt")
      Response.Write("Previous ")
      Response.Write("description is: ")
      Response.Write(c)
      %>

      Previous description is: ASP Variables

      GetPreviousURL

      Returns the URL of the previous item listed in the Content Linking List file. If the current page is not found in the list file it returns the URL of the first page on the list

      <%
      dim nl,c
      Set nl=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.NextLink")
      c=nl.GetPreviousURL("links.txt")
      Response.Write("Previous ")
      Response.Write("URL is: ")
      Response.Write(c)
      %>

      Previous URL is: asp_variables.asp


      Examples

      The Content Rotator Component
      This component displays a different HTML content string each time a user visits or refreshes the page.


      ASP Content Rotator Component

      The ASP Content Rotator component creates a ContentRotator object that displays a different HTML content string each time a user 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

      <%
      Set cr=Server.CreateObject( "MSWC.ContentRotator" )
      %>

      The following example displays a different content each time a user views the Web page. Create a text file named "textads.txt" in your default Web Site folder, in a subfolder called text.

      "textads.txt":

      %% #1
      This is a great day!!

      %% #2

      Smile



      %% #3


      %% #4
      Here's a link.

      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 this example, the Content Rotator will display the first content string one-tenth of the time, the second string two-tenths of the time, the third string three-tenths of the time, and the fourth string four-tenths of the time.

      Then, create an ASP file, and insert the following code:




      <%
      set cr=server.createobject("MSWC.ContentRotator")
      response.write(cr.ChooseContent("text/textads.txt"))
      %>


      The ASP Content Rotator Component's methods are described below:

      Methods

      Method

      Description

      Example

      ChooseContent

      Gets and displays a content string

      <%
      dim cr
      Set cr=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.ContentRotator")
      response.write(cr.ChooseContent("text/textads.txt"))
      %>

      Output:

      Smiley

      GetAllContent

      Retrieves and displays all of the content strings in the text file

      <%
      dim cr
      Set cr=Server.CreateObject("MSWC.ContentRotator")
      response.write(cr.GetAllContent("text/textads.txt"))
      %>

      Output:


      This is a great day!!


      Smile


      Smiley


      Here's a link.



      ASP Quick Reference

      PreviousNext


      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:



      <% response.write("Hello World!") %>

      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" %>

      <%
      ....
      %>

      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 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:


      or

      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":

      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:

      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
      • declarations
      • TypeLibrary declarations
      • the #include directive
      • 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

        Declarations

        It is also possible to create objects with session or application scope in Global.asa by using the tag. Note: The tag should be outside the

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