Designing Active Server Pages [Paperback]

Scott Mitchell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2000

Developers of Active Server Pages often reinvent the wheel. Their background in web design, with its separate HTML page for each viewable web page on a site, leads many ASP developers to create a distinct ASP page each time they think they need one. Often times, these pages are functionally similar. With intelligent planning, an ASP developer stands to save a great deal of time by creating reusable ASP pages. Designing Active Server Pages is tailor-made for these developers.

There is currently a plethora of Active Server Pages books. However, the vast majority of these books are either technical references or how-to books for beginners. Designing Active Server Pages is written for the intermediate to advanced user. Furthermore, nearly every other book on ASP focuses on using VBScript, even though ASP supports an array of scripting languages, including JScript and PerlScript. Designing Active Server Pages shows how to start using these other languages.

The latest version of the scripting engines (Version 5.1 for VBScript) adds new features not available before the 5.0 release. These features include class support for VBScript, and Regular Expression searching through the use of a COM object. Designing Active Server Pages explains why using classes in VBScript is beneficial, and demonstrates the power of regular expression searching.

This book shows how to simplify the process by only requiring one ASP page to handle ALL of the Forms throughout a web site, thus reducing the amount of code one has to write.

Topics include:

• Using various Microsoft and third-party components to enhance ASP pages
• Creating components using VB and/or VC++
• Sample code for performing routine ASP tasks
• Techniques to allow for reusable database scripts on the database system and on ASP pages
• How to obtain and register third-party components, thus saving massive amounts of time by reusing someone else's code

Designing Active Server Pages is for developers who have already mastered the basics of ASP application development and are ready to take the next logical step. It is sure to become an indispensable part of every web developer's library.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Designing Active Server Pages provides an important tool for often-overworked ASP programmers: a set of techniques for making the wisest use of the technology in a production environment. Targeting an audience of readers who already are seasoned in ASP, author Scott Mitchell explores techniques for producing "reusable and robust ASP applications."

Presentation and example compose the approach here, with concise tables of information and descriptions that make the book a fast read. Mitchell explores the benefits of the VBScript 5.0 scripting engine, and illustrates how to exploit the new RegExp object fully and build object-oriented code by using VBScript classes--another welcome addition to the coding platform. ASP programmers will find techniques for which they've been longing, such as centralized error-handling pages and reusable database administration forms.

Creation of and best practices for implementing COM components, useful standard components (like the Content Linker and AdRotator), and third-party components (such as ASPEncrypt and SA-FileUp) are discussed. Designing Active Server Pages doesn't stop with mere descriptions of these components, but also provides solutions for common needs, such as uploading files to binary fields in Microsoft SQL Server and sending encrypted e-mail.

With its advanced techniques and practical perspective, this book is perfect for those who look to stay on the cutting edge of ASP programming. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

• Choosing a server-side scripting language
• Exception handling
• Regular expressions
• Building reusable forms
• Reusable database administration pages
• COM overview
• Lesser-known Microsoft COM components
• Important third-party COM components

About the Author

Scott Mitchell is the co-founder of one of the most popular ASP resource destinations on the Internet, http://www.4guysfromrolla.com/. Originally started as a college project, 4Guys quickly blossomed into a community of serious web developers. The site attracts tens of thousands of experienced ASP developers every day, and unlike other communities, it also offers a warm welcome and advice for those new to Active Server Pages. In addition to 4guysfromrolla.com, Scott has extensive experience building real-world web sites using Active Server Pages, including building an intranet tool for Microsoft's Office Group.

Product Details

• Paperback: 348 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (September 18, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596000448
• ISBN-13: 978-0596000448
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,927,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As editor and main contributor to 4GuysFromRolla.com, a popular ASP/ASP.NET resource Web site, Scott Mitchell has authored several hundred articles on Microsoft Web Technologies since 1998. In addition to his vast collection of online article, Scott has written numerous books on ASP/ASP.NET as well as articles for Microsoft's MSDN Magazine and asp.net PRO.

Scott's non-writing accomplishments include speaking at numerous ASP/ASP.NET user groups and ASP.NET conferences across the country. Scott has also taught numerous classes on ASP.NET and related technologies at the University of California[md]San Diego University Extension. In addition to teaching and writing, Scott also is a software developer. He works as an independent consultant and has authored and sold a number of commercial software applications.

Scott can be reached at [e-mail]; his blog is available at www.ScottOnWriting.NET.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for all levels, October 18, 2000

By 

Cleveland Rob (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Designing Active Server Pages (Paperback)

As a web developer, I've been using ASP for a couple years and would consider myself and intermediate ASP programmer. I've built up a collection of books on the topic, mostly referring to WROX books for their reference quality.

ASP isn't my primary function at my job, so I don't get to work daily on developing and using my skills. I've recently been looking to improve my ability in this area, and inject some new ideas into the way I accomplish things in code. This book was the perfect answer!

If you're new to ASP or programming, you'll appreciate the emphasis on structure and conventions. If you're experienced with ASP, you'll appreciate the ideas presented here. I especially like the work on code reusability.

This is definitely one of the best ASP books I've seen in a long time.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, November 21, 2000

By 

Mark (Ottawa, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Designing Active Server Pages (Paperback)

This is a mediocre book that doesn't have a very good focus. The first four chapters are fine as introductory chapters, discussing how to pick a server-side scripting language, how to handle exceptions and "regular expressions, classes and dynamic evaluation and execution" (i'm not sure how those got lumped together!) There are two main chapters, one on form reuse (that has some reasonably useful info) and one on a reusable database admin page, which may or may not be useful. The methodology is interesting but it seems to have limited usefulness. The final chapters outline COM & how to use 3rd party COM objects. The information here is at a very high level and you would best be served by getting a book devoted to that topic.

My biggest concern with the book is that the title is hopelessly misleading. There is almost nothing on "designing" active server pages. We are instead led through a couple of administration apps and a high-level intro to COM & how to use 3rd party components. I expected information on how to structure your application, on performance issues, on scalability, on security, session & application variables, maybe even something on database issues. Unfortunately most of the author's advice seems could be summarized with "encapsulate your code: use classes, COM objects and include files".

I found that a lot of the writing seemed wordy and repetitive, unlike most O'Reilly books. Also this book seems pitched at intermediate developers, say those that are familiar with the syntax but don't have much expertise in building multi-page ASP applications. I don't think experienced ASP developers would get much out of this book, since they probably have written their own code to accomplish some of the things discussed in this book.

I wanted to give this book a good review, being a big fan of the author's web site,.... Unfortunately this book is not a keeper. If you want ASP books get "ASP in a Nutshell" (O'Reilly) for the syntax, "Developing ASP Components" (O'Reilly) if you want to get into COM and Professional Active Server Pages 2/3 (Wrox) for an excellent look at real ASP programming in an enterprise.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars well written advanced book, October 14, 2000

By 

dan berman (los angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Designing Active Server Pages (Paperback)

theres very few ASP books written that go beyond teaching you WHAT things do. this book, meant for intermediate to advanced users, delves into the WHY and HOW to do things. It teaches you how create your applications correctly, focusing on creating modular, reusable code. highly recommended.