Investigation and Use of Active Server Pages in a Multi-platform Environment

Project Narrative

1) Description of the Project

Active Server Pages (ASP) is the server-side execution environment that combines HTML pages, scripts, and Active-X server components in a compile-free application environment. By combining these components, developers can easily create dynamic content and powerful Web-based applications. ASP was developed by Microsoft for use with Internet Information Server and Personal Web Server and are used widely by organizations using either of the Microsoft web servers.

Active Server Pages typically support scripts written in VBScript and JScript, although other scripting languages like JavaScript, Perl, Python and REXX are also supported. Active Server Pages also support ActiveX components developed in any language, including C++, Java, Visual Basic, and COBOL. Active Server Pages are similar to server-side includes, CGI scripts and programs and Java Servlets and JSP (Java Server Pages) found in other environments.

GOAL 1: Integrate the study of ASPs into the curriculum

The research team will investigate the use and development of active server pages in several different environments. Initially, the researchers will be looking at standard Active Server Pages (ASP) developed with the programming language JavaScript for the Internet Information Server web server. JavaScript (or Jscript on Microsoft platforms) is one of the two languages typically used for developing Active Server Pages. The research team will be expected to create a collection of ASPs that will be available for use by other students and faculty.

The resulting ASPs will be tested in a variety of MS Windows platforms running the Internet Information Server and the Personal Web Server. The results of this research will be published on the Faculty Advisor’s website (http://csc.ColumbusState.edu/summers) and incorporated into the course material for the NMHU courses: CS 456 / 556 – Internet Services and CS 463 /563 – Web Programming. These results will also be useful for NASA and educational institutions running web sites.

GOAL 2: Investigate other environments for the use of ASPs

The research team plans on developing ASPs in other programming environments. As the research assistants become comfortable with developing ASPs using JavaScript, they will be expected to extend the development to other languages including C++, Java, and Perl.

The research team plans on trying to port ASPs to other server environments including the Apache Web Server for NT and Apache Web Server for Linux. This may require the use of other systems including Server-side Includes, CGI, and Java Server Pages.

GOAL 3: Compare ASP with other dynamic environments for the WWW

As time permits, the researchers plan on doing a comparative analysis of ASPs with Server-side Includes (SSI), CGI/Perl scripts, JSPs, and Java Servlets both on Microsoft servers as well as other types of servers.

This project will have a direct impact on two of the courses taught by the Faculty Advisor. The CS 456 / 556 – Internet Services course has a large component dealing with web servers. There is currently only a brief discussion of ASP, CGI, SSI, and JSP in the class. The results of this project will allow the incorporation of more information about all of these methods for making web sites more dynamic and provide an analysis of when to use each one.

The CS 463 / 563 I Web Programming course has dealt primarily with programming on the client side. The faculty member teaching this course in Spring 2000 is planning on shifting some of the emphasis in the course to server-side programming. This project will help facilitate this shift by providing examples of ASPs and providing a comparative analysis of different types of server-side programming. Students in both courses will be evaluated on their knowledge of ASPs and other server-side programming through hands-on labs and projects and through exam questions.

It is also anticipated that the results of this project will influence work in other courses as well as future research in the Computer Science Department at New Mexico Highlands University.

2) Technical Plan

This project will have an immediate and direct impact on several courses taught in Computer Science. It will possibly have some impact on other Math, Science, and Engineering programs since several of the ASPs and other server-side programs may be used on their departmental servers. It is anticipated that this research will result in more extensive research of not only ASPs, but also JSPs and Java Servlets.

The faculty advisor has taught both Internet Services and Web Programming courses for two years. He has conducted National Science Foundation Chautauquas on the Internet and Web Programming for four years and will be conducting two Chautaquas on Advanced Internet and Web Programming in May, 2000. The graduate student mentor has worked for an Internet Service Provider and has experience developing and writing server-side scripts. The two undergraduate students are currently completing a course in C++ programming. They have both had experience with HTML and some limited experience with JavaScript programming.

The research will be conducted on a dedicated Windows NT Pentium II based-server running the latest version on the Internet Information Server (IIS). Several development tools including the latest versions of Homesite, Microsoft Visual Interdev, and Cold Fusion will be available for use both on the dedicated server and on several computers in the computer lab. As the ASPs are developed, they will be tested in different environments that will be available to the researchers. The ASPs will be made available to students in the Web Programming course as they become available. Students in the Web Programming course will also be developing ASPs as part of their lab assignments. These ASPs will also be incorporated into the collection of ASPs for the project.

3) Basis for the Proposed Project

As discussed above there are already several courses taught in the Computer Science Department that will benefit from this research project. The Web Programming course will be impacted immediately in the Spring 2000 semester. The Internet Services course is only taught in the Fall, and won’t be impacted until the Fall, 2000 semester. It is anticipated that this research will lead to an expanded research with other faculty that will involve looking at other types of server-side programming, and the uses of this technology in developing and using courseware of the Web.

4) Partnership Plan

The results of this research will be made available through the Internet and will be accessible by industry, other universities, and NASA. The faculty advisor will be incorporating these results on his website which is widely accessed. The faculty advisor will also be sharing the results with faculty who participate in his NSF Chautauquas in May 2000. The faculty are currently working on several grant proposals with Microsoft and NSF to expand on the research in this project.

5) Mathematics, Science Engineering and Technology (MSET) Outcomes

This project will directly impact 20-25 students in two Computer Science courses, Internet Services and Web Programming, at New Mexico Highland University. Most of the students taking these courses are underrepresented minorities in computer science (either Hispanic and/or female). By adding lab components that include server-side programming, students’ experiences in web programming will be broadened.

6) Research Training

This project will provide the two undergraduates and one graduate student with the opportunity to conduct research in computer science. They will be expected to collaborate with each other and the faculty advisor and to document all of their work. The students will be expected to disseminate the results of their research through the Internet and through a presentation to the other students at New Mexico Highlands University at the ACM Computer Club meeting. It is expected that the results of this research will be immediately integrated into several courses in the Computer Science curriculum.

7) University and Partners’ Commitment

The Computer Science Department at New Mexico Highlands University will be providing computers with the requisite peripherals and software to accomplish this project. The computers will be housed in a computer lab in the department and will be networked to the Internet. The faculty advisor will be available to help the graduate and undergraduate students as needed. The two courses in the curriculum that are most impacted by this research are new courses (two years old) that need to be constantly updated with emergent technologies.