Designing Active Server Pages

Specifying the Scripting Language

Since any compliant ActiveX scripting engine can be used to parse an ASP page, when a web server receives a request for an ASP page, it must first determine what ActiveX scripting engine needs to be used to parse the ASP page’s code. If the ASP code consists of valid JScript syntax, but the web server attempts to have the ASP page parsed with the VBScript engine, errors will abound.

An ASP page can explicitly indicate what scripting language was used through the Language directive. For example, the following ASP snippet uses the Language directive to indicate that JScript is the scripting language used:

            <% @LANGUAGE = "JScript" %>
<%
  var strQuote;
  strQuote = "Hello, world!";
  Response.Write(strQuote);
%>

The Language directive, like all other ASP directives, is preceded by @ . Furthermore, directives must appear before all other ASP code. Failure to do so will result in the following error:

Active Server Pages error 'ASP 0140' 

Page Command Out Of Order 

The @ command must be the first command within the Active Server Page

If the Language directive is excluded (which it commonly is), the default scripting language is used. When first installed, both IIS and PWS set the default scripting language to VBScript. The default scripting language can be changed, though. To change the default scripting language in IIS, visit the Internet Information Services by going to Start → Programs → Administrative Tools → Internet Services Manager. The web sites on your ...