Active Server Pages Classic ASP with Dreamweaver MX

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Active Server Pages (Classic ASP) with
Dreamweaver MX

• Steve Butler
• Development Consultant, ILTThe Learning and
  Skills Development Agency
• Online Services Manager, City College Manchester
• Peter Edge, Online Services Developer, City
  College Manchester
• Jon Hilton, Web Co-Ordinator, Shrewsbury Sixth
  Form College

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Active Server Pages (Classic ASP)with
Dreamweaver MX/2004

• Understanding ASP

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Dreamweaver MX

• Design
• Integration with Fireworks MX2004
• Integration with Flash MX2004
• Integration for ASP environment
• Integration for JSP environment
• Integration for PHP (recursive acronym for "PHP
  Hypertext Preprocessor")
• Integration for ASP.NET
• Integration for ColdFusion

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ASP
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ASP
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ASP

• ASP (or other dynamic solution) allows for
• easier editing of a web page by updating an XML
  file, a text file, a spreadsheet or a database
  rather than the HTML code
• Database Managers?

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ASP

• possible to create, amend and delete page content
  through a web browser interface
• easy to implement pages that the user wants or
  needs to see (e.g. customised pages on an
  intranet)

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ASP

• easy to obtain information from a user and return
  detail to the user based on that information
• The Session State
• Cookies

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ASP

• The power of ASP lies in its ability to create
  dynamic, conditional-dependent pages
• Content can be added by maintained by others (not
  you!)
• It is possible to create a web site which
  functions with no intervention from the Web Team
  inputting content

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ASP

• The ASP environment uses (a) ActiveX Data Objects
  (ADO) (ADO sits with OLEDB (provides control for
  data access process) and offers a simplified view
  of the database. Databases have their own set of
  service providers (ODBC interacts between
  Script and database) providing a unified view of
  the database) and (b) a scripting language such
  as
• VBScript (not case sensitive)
• JScript (is case sensitive) and can cause
  problems when two or more programmers work on the
  same site.

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ASP

• ADO comprises
• Connection
• Recordset
• Command
• Parameter
• Errors
• ADO objects facilitate connection, retrieving,
  updating, deleting, inserting using the SQL
  query language for the database e.g. SELECT
  (asks), INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE (all tell the
  database something)

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ASP

• How does the server know the difference between
  scripts?
• .htm and .asp extensions
• lt and gt are delimiters which surround HTML
  elements
• lt and gt are delimiters which surround ASP code
  fragments

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ASP

• HTML
• The web browser receives the information from the
  server and interprets the X/HTML
• X/HTML elements and attributes
• ltPgt..lt/Pgt
• ltP span classsmallgt.lt/Pgt

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HTML
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ASP

• ASP environment
• The web sites server (with ASP executable)
  interprets the ASP
• Typically Visual Basic Script with variables and
  decision trees lt ..... gt
• lt IF Session(Name)Peter Edge THEN gt
• ltpgtThe world is flatlt/pgt
• lt else gt
• ltpgtThe world is roundlt/pgt
• lt end if gt

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ASP
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ASP

• ltHTMLgt
• ltHEADgt
• ltTITLEgtlt/TITLEgt
• lt/HEADgt
• ltBODYgt
• ltPgtThe time is lt Time gt on lt Date gtlt/Pgt

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ASP

• lt If Hour(Now) lt12 Then gt
• ltpgtIt's morning in the UKlt/pgt
• lt End If gt
• lt If Hour(Now) gt12 Then gt
• ltpgtIt's not morning in the UKlt/pgt
• lt End If gt
• lt/bodygt
• lt/htmlgt
• Problem with this script?

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ASP

• lt If Hour(Now) lt12 Then gt
• ltpgtIt's morning in the UKlt/pgt
• lt End If gt
• lt If Hour(Now) gt12 Then gt
• ltpgtIt's not morning in the UKlt/pgt
• lt End If gt
• lt/bodygt
• lt/htmlgt

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ASP

• lt If Hour(Now) lt12 Then gt
• ltpgtIt's morning in the UKlt/pgt
• lt elseif Hour(Now) gt12 Then gt
• ltpgtIts not morning in the UKlt/pgt
• lt end if gt
• lt/bodygt
• lt/htmlgt

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ASP

• lt If Hour(Now) lt12 Then gt
• ltpgtIt's morning in the UKlt/pgt
• lt elseif Hour(Now) gt12 Then gt
• ltpgtIts not morning in the UKlt/pgt
• lt else gt
• ltpgtThe date and time cannot be determinedlt/pgt
• lt end if gt
• lt/bodygt
• lt/htmlgt

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ASP
Active Data Objects - allows access to the
database and Hides the peculiarities of each
database type. OLEDB provides control over the
data-access process. Uses ODBC to communicate
between ASP Script and DB
and Intranet M/VLEs
Open Database Connector Creates the link to the
database
Structured Query Language (pron Seequel) Four
main sections Insertion of data, extraction of
data. Amendment of data, removal of data
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The Event

• The event covers
• incorporating and manipulating data using a
  Microsoft Access Database in web pages using the
  ASP/ADO environment through VBScript. This can
  easily be adapated for use with SQL Server.
• writing to the database
• reading from the database
• amending and deleting information
• Password protection of pages
• Logging in system
• Two Projects

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Requirements

• The web must be server based (e.g. http//name of
  server) with ASP configured
• Developer server problems? http//127.0.0.1
  (local host loopback)
• http//lsdaxx/ (xx is number of the machine)
• Classic ASP can be fused with new developments
  e.g. ASP.NET available in Dreamweaver MX/2004
  (also has extensions for e-learning ..
  IMSManifest Flash MX accessibility)
• www.ccm.ac.uk and staff.ccm.ac.uk
• www.nln.ac.uk/events
• www.learningtechnologies.ac.uk
• www.ssfc.ac.uk

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The Server

• Web Server
• typically IIS (4.0/5.0 with latest service and
  option packs) on Windows 2000/2003 server
• MDAC 2.6/7
• PWS2 and ASP.EXE (Win95)
• PWS4 (comes with ASP.EXE) (Win98)
• Windows 2000/XP Professional (IIS 5.0)
• Ssssh! XP Home with Windows 2000 - IIS5 !?
• Chili!Soft for UNIX server
• SQLServer on a separate server

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Notes for Delegates

• Door keys/code C5068 and 54
• Side door/inner door
• Fire
• Toilets
• Meal times
• Break times
• Packed lunch on 3rd day
• Keep room secure
• Date and time on laptops

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Your Role

• ASP and programming is not for those easily upset
  or of a nervous disposition

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Introductions

• ASP and programming is not for those easily upset
  or of a nervous disposition
• Name
• Where you are from
• Job Role
• Why are you here?
• Are you here willingly?

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Laptop Configuration

• Peter Edge
• Check server and machine name
• Start gtgt Control Panel gtgt System
• Network Identification gtgt Properties
• LSDAxx (where xx the laptop number)
• Peter Check Domain and Access to Server

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Laptops

• Take care not to remove or lean on the wireless
  network card!
• Log-on
• Username lsdaxx
• (where xx is the machine number)
• Password lsda
• Rousing the machine from sleep

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Access

• Using Access 2002
• Access 2002 will open with Access 2000
• If anyone is using Access 97 please have a word
  with us to convert databases before the end of
  the event
• Upgrade MDAC to 2.6/7 or later

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Just checking!

• Start gtgt Control Panel gtgt Administrative Tools gtgt
  Internet Information Services
• Dreamweaver MX
• Access

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Introduction to Dreamweaver MX2004

• Preferences set up a web browser
• Accessibility (e.g. table elements can be made to
  show the label mark-up)
• Use CSS Styles
• See the help section re accessibility and
  download the 508 Accessibility Suite
• Works best at 1024x768 resolution
• Jon Hilton will now introduce the features of
  Dreamweaver MX and show you around the interface
  we will be using

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Active Server Pages (Classic ASP)with
Dreamweaver MX

• Lets get on with it then!
• Well, after coffee