ASP Syntax

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

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

Examples

Write text
How to write some text into the body of the HTML document with ASP.

Text and HTML tags
How to format the text with HTML tags.

The Basic Syntax Rule

An ASP file normally contains HTML tags, just as a standard HTML file. In addition, an ASP file can contain server scripts, surrounded by the delimiters <% and %>. Server scripts are executed on the server, and can contain any expressions, statements, procedures, or operators that are valid for the scripting language you use.

The Response Object

The Write method of the ASP Response Object is used to send content to the browser. For example, the following statement sends the text "Hello World" to the browser: Response.Write("Hello World").

VBScript

In ASP it is possible to use different scripting languages. The default scripting language in ASP is VBScript, as in this example:

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

The example above uses the response.write function to write Hello World! into the body of the HTML document.

JavaScript

To make JavaScript the default scripting language within a particular page, insert a language specification at the top of that page.

<%@ language="javascript" %>
<html>
<body>
<%
Response.Write("Hello World!")
%>
</body>
</html>

Note that - 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 comes with VBScript and JScript, Microsoft's implementation of Javascript. If you want to script in another language, like PERL, REXX, or Python, you have to install scripting engines for them.

Because the scripts are executed on the server, the browser that requests the ASP file does not need to support scripting.

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