Active Server Pages (ASP) has become a standard for developing server-side Web applications. Prior to the development of ASP and other earlier scripting solutions, such as Sun's Java, Netscape's JavaScript, and Microsoft's VBScript, all information served to the client's browser was static -- the Web server did not dynamically generate any part of the site's content. ASP allows Web developers to dynamically generate browser-neutral content.

ASP in a Nutshell provides the high-quality documentation that developers really need to create effective ASP applications. It focuses on how features are used in a real application and highlights little-known or undocumented features as well. This book also includes an overview of the interaction of the latest release of Internet Information Server (version 4) and ASP, with an introduction to the IIS object model and the objects it comprises. The examples given in this section and throughout the book are illustrated in VBScript.

This book is written for Web developers with an extensive knowledge base and years of experience behind them. Like other books in the In a Nutshell series, this book offers the facts, including critical background information, in a no-nonsense manner that users will refer to again and again. It is a detailed reference that enables even experienced Web developers to advance their ASP applications to new levels.

The main components covered in this book are:

• Active Server Pages Introduction. Brief overview of the ASP application paradigm with examples in VBScript. Also an introduction to Microsoft's Internet Information Server 4.0, the IIS object model, and the objects that it comprises.
• Object Reference. Each object is discussed in the following manner: descriptions, properties, collections, methods, events, accessory files/required DLLs, and remarks, including real-world uses, tips and tricks, and author's experience (where applicable). The objects: Application, Response, Request, Server, Session, ObjectContext, as well as ASP Directives, Global.ASA, and SS Includes all follow this paradigm.
• Component Reference. This section follows the same paradigm detailed in Object Reference. The discussion covers Active Data Objects, Ad Rotator, Browser capabilities, File Access, Tools, and more.
• Appendices. Gives examples in one or two objects and components using Perl, REXX, and Python in ASP.The information in this book is written in a no-nonsense manner. Readers will find high-quality documentation and useful examples throughout. It is a detailed reference that provides Web developers with the information they need to develop effective ASP applications.