With Instant ASP (iASP) from Halcyon Software, you can write ASP (Active Server Pages)–based Web applications "once" and run them anywhere. iASP lets you leverage your present skills, development tools, and resources to quickly build scalable, enterprise class, cross-platform applications for the Internet, Intranet, or Extranet.

What is ASP?

ASP is a strategic part of Internet Information Server (IIS). In less than two years, ASP has taken the market by storm. There are now over 750,000 ASP developers, a number which is expected to double by the end of 1999. Microsoft estimates there are already 75,000 deployed ASP sites and over 2500 vendors creating ASP-related components, tools, and solutions.

Active Server Pages (ASP) is a server-side scripting environment that you can use to create and run dynamic, interactive Web server applications. With ASP, you can combine HTML pages, script commands, and ActiveX components to create interactive Web pages or powerful Web-based applications. ASP applications are easy to develop and modify. In short, ASP is an open Web application framework that lets developers combine server scripting with custom components to provide dynamic Web-enabled applications – much like a "super glue" for dynamic Web-enabled application development.

An ASP script begins to run when a browser requests an .asp file from your Web server. Your Web server then calls ASP, which reads through the requested file from top to bottom, executes any script commands, and sends a Web page to the browser.

Because your scripts run on the server rather than on the client, your Web server does all the work involved in generating the Web pages that you send to browsers. You need not worry whether a browser can process your scripts: your Web server does all the script processing, transmitting standard HTML to the browser. Server-side scripts cannot be readily copied because only the result of the script is returned to the browser. Your users cannot view the script commands that created the page they are viewing.

ASP is expected to have the same impact on Web application development that Microsoft Visual Basic™ had on client-side application development. Of course, that’s all great news if you are strictly a Microsoft developer. That’s because Microsoft ASP only runs on Microsoft’s IIS.

Instant ASP to the Rescue!

Now, however, with Halcyon’s iASP, you can enjoy the benefits of ASP development, but not be constrained to one platform. In fact, because iASP is implemented in Java™, you can develop Web-based applications that run anywhere, anytime. From Apache Web Servers to IBM WebSphere™. From Netscape to O’Reilly™. From Microsoft Windows NT™ to Linux, UNIX, Novell™ SCO, Lotus, Sun Solaris™, and Apple - Write Once, Run Anywhere!™.

iASP comes with more features, functionality, and capability than any implementation of ASP in the market. Blend ActiveX components with Enterprise Java Beans or CORBA-compliant objects. Through Active Data Objects (ADO), interactively interface to and leverage any database to publish dynamic data, information, and content.

Use standard development tools, such as MS Visual InterDev™ web development system, Sybase™ PowerSite™, NetObjects ScriptBuilder™, Allaire, and Elemental’s DrumBeat™. Or, develop in HTML, J++, C++, Visual Basic Script or Java Script.

Why Use Instant ASP?

• Develop data-driven, Web-enabled, enterprise-class applications that can be deployed across multiple Web Server and Operating System platforms.
• Use familiar languages and tools: Visual Basic™, JScript, VBScript, C++, Java, HTML, Delphi , MS Visual InterDev™ web development system, Sybase PowerSite™, Netobjects ScriptBuilder™, Elemental’s DrumBeat™, Alliare™, etc.
• As you leverage existing skills and resources in developing iASP applications, you greatly reduce the time and cost associated with developing dynamic content (data driven), multi-tier applications for Internet, Intranet, or Extranet deployment.
• Instant ASP is ideal for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), Systems Integrators, Government & Corporate IT developers, Solutions Providers, Application & Database developers, experienced script authors, and Internet Service Providers (ISPs).