What is the Difference Between ASP and ASP.NET?

The main difference between ASP and ASP.NET is that ASP.NET is a compiled language, while ASP is an interpreted language. ASP.NET is a successor to ASP, and it was introduced in 2002 as a part of the .NET framework. Here are some key differences between ASP and ASP.NET:

1. Language: ASP mainly uses VBScript for its code, while ASP.NET allows the use of multiple languages, such as C# and VB.NET.
2. Database Connection: ASP uses ADO (ActiveX Data Objects) technology to connect and work with databases, whereas ASP.NET uses ADO.NET for database connectivity.
3. Object-Orientation: ASP is partially object-oriented, while ASP.NET is fully object-oriented.
4. Code Containment: ASP does not provide a facility to separate design from programming logic, but ASP.NET offers the option of Code Containment, allowing for better organization and management of code.
5. File Extensions: ASP pages have the file extension .asp, while ASP.NET pages have the file extension .aspx.
6. Error Handling: Error handling in ASP is poor, as it does not have built-in error handling capabilities. In contrast, ASP.NET has robust error handling capabilities.
7. Debugging: Debugging is difficult in ASP because the scripts are interpreted, but debugging is easier in ASP.NET due to its compiled nature.
8. Configuration: ASP is not configurable, but ASP.NET uses a configuration file named Web.config for configuration.

In summary, ASP.NET offers several advantages over ASP, such as improved performance, better object-orientation, and more robust error handling and debugging features. Additionally, ASP.NET is part of the .NET framework, which provides access to a wide range of tools and libraries for developing web applications.

Comparative Table: ASP vs ASP.NET

Here is a table comparing the differences between ASP and ASP.NET:

ASP (Active Server Pages) is a development framework used for building web pages, introduced in 1998 by Microsoft as its first server-side scripting language. It uses the interpreted language VBScipt and has a file extension of .asp.

ASP.NET, on the other hand, is a part of the Microsoft .NET Framework and uses the compiled language. It connects and works with databases using ADO.NET, is fully object-oriented, and provides options for code containment. Error handling and debugging are improved in ASP.NET compared to ASP. ASP.NET uses Web.config for configuration, while ASP does not have a configuration language.