Is there a good program to debug server side Classic ASP

[Alan]

Hi all

I am looking for an application in which to write ASP pages and
debug server side vbscript in those pages.
I am using Windows XP and its associated IIS server.
The site uses a microsoft access database and front page extensions.

I have been using Frontpage 2003 to write and publish but I
am continually frustrated by the limited error information returned
and the inability to step through code, set breakpoints and monitor
parameter values.

I downloaded Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition but cannot get
server side debugging to work - I am not even sure that this
capability is present in the program.

Is there anything out there in the market that might be helpful,
specifically in debugging server side script?

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Anthony Jones]

Hi all

I am looking for an application in which to write ASP pages and
debug server side vbscript in those pages.
I am using Windows XP and its associated IIS server.
The site uses a microsoft access database and front page extensions.

I have been using Frontpage 2003 to write and publish but I
am continually frustrated by the limited error information returned
and the inability to step through code, set breakpoints and monitor
parameter values.

I downloaded Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition but cannot get
server side debugging to work - I am not even sure that this
capability is present in the program.

Is there anything out there in the market that might be helpful,
specifically in debugging server side script?

You are correct the express edition does not support debugging of code
running in IIS.

Ideally you would want the Pro version however you can download the free
Script debugger from Microsoft. That will allow you to attach to the
appropriate IIS process and debug server side script. Use the Web Developer
for development make sure you've patched it to SP1 though.

BTW, consider using ASP.NET instead, you can debug ASP.NET in Web Developer.

 

[Alan]

--
Alan

You are correct the express edition does not support debugging of code
running in IIS.

Ideally you would want the Pro version however you can download the free
Script debugger from Microsoft. That will allow you to attach to the
appropriate IIS process and debug server side script. Use the Web Developer
for development make sure you've patched it to SP1 though.

BTW, consider using ASP.NET instead, you can debug ASP.NET in Web Developer.

Is there much involved in moving from ASP to ASP.NET? Can I use msAccess as
the database in ASP.NET and is the ASP.NET code much different. It took me a
long time to bootstrap myself into ASP (from knowing nothing about web page
code) and develop the web site but if it is better using ASP.NET then I would
be willing to spend time exploring it. Ths web site services a small ski
club and provides on line membership renewal and ability to book and cost
rooms in a ski lodge and ability for members to change contact phone numbers
etc on line.

Thanks...Alan

 

[Sylvain Lafontaine]

ASP is not really supported anymore by Microsoft; so excerpt for supporting
legacy applications, you're probably losing your time trying to learn ASP.
In the old time, you had to use Visual Interdev or Visual Studio 6 to debug
ASP application but these two products are no longer sold by Microsoft.
However, the Microsoft Script Debugger should be able to do the job on WinXP
and IIS 5.1.

There is a world of difference between ASP and ASP.NET but ASP.NET is the
future; so it's there that you should put your time. A second interesting
option would be PHP as it's development model is closer to ASP than to
ASP.NET and is widely used today. WEB Expression 2 - the successor of
FrontPage - support PHP and ASP.NET but not ASP. However, for creating a
full debugging environment, I'm not sure how well or easy you can do it with
PHP on IIS 5.1.

--
Sylvain Lafontaine, ing.
MVP - Windows Live Platform
Email: sylvain aei ca (fill the blanks, no spam please)
Independent consultant and remote programming for Access and SQL-Server
(French)

 

[Alan]

ASPis not really supported anymore by Microsoft; so excerpt for supporting
legacy applications, you're probably losing your time trying to learnASP.
In the old time, you had to use Visual Interdev or Visual Studio 6 to debugASPapplication but these two products are no longer sold by Microsoft.
However, the Microsoft Script Debugger should be able to do the job on WinXP
and IIS 5.1.

There is a world of difference betweenASPandASP.NET butASP.NET is the
future; so it's there that you should put your time.  A second interesting
option would be PHP as it's development model is closer toASPthan toASP.NET and is widely used today.  WEB Expression 2 - the successor of
FrontPage - support PHP andASP.NET but notASP.  However, for creating a
fulldebuggingenvironment, I'm not sure how well or easy you can do it with
PHP on IIS 5.1.

--
Sylvain Lafontaine, ing.
MVP - Windows Live Platform
Email: sylvain aei ca (fill the blanks, no spam please)
Independent consultant and remote programming for Access and SQL-Server
(French)










- Show quoted text -

Thanks Sylvain. It looks as though I might need to take the plunge
and go ASP.NET

I would rather spend my time learning a more powerful language than
perservering with ASP or, from what you say, PHP.

My frustration level with ASP is high as it just takes so much
patience to re read the code and re read it again to pull out what
might be going wrong.

Thanks for your help Sylvian and Andrew. I very much appreciate it.

Kind regards...Alan