What's the difference?

**Rifter72** · 07-20-2003, 10:05 PM

Ok, I've got some HTML lessons under my belt, and I'm looking forward to learning Javascript next. But I don't know alot about ASP or Visual Basic. I don't know what these languages are used for. Could someone explain them just a little bit for me. Also, what is the difference between ASP and ASP.net and what is the difference between Visual Basic and Visual Basic.net? What little I've heard about these is that the .net stuff is not the same as the stuff without the .net after it. What is the difference?

**pyro** · 07-20-2003, 10:15 PM

Make it easy... learn PHP.

Seriously, I don't know enough about ASP to explain it all to you as well as other could, so you'll have to wait for someone else to come around, but, javascript is totally different from ASP or VB...

**Rifter72** · 07-20-2003, 10:25 PM

Actually, Pyro, you convinced me to look at PHP way back when I first registered on these boards. But things have been slower than I hoped and I'm just getting into the guts of HTML. But I've already purchased books on Javascript and PHP so they are next. It's just that the terms "ASP" and "ASP.net" along with "Visual Basic" and "Visual Basic.net" have been popping up around me lately and I don't know anything about them as of yet. But I get the idea that they are 4 completely different things. I'm not interested so much in their differences from Jscript or PHP but what are they used for? Example, HTML is basic coding, Jscript gives you the ability to do XYZ, PHP allows you to add or control ABC, etc. That is what I want to know. That way if someone asks me if I know what ASP is, I can say yes. Whether I use it or not or like it or not can wait until later but at least I can say I know what it is.

**pyro** · 07-20-2003, 10:32 PM

Ah, I see...

ASP is Microsoft's server side language. It is much like PHP, in that regard. It has the same approximate uses, etc.

ASP.NET is the latest version of ASP, I believe there are farily major changes between ASP and ASP.NET.

VB is Visual Basic. It is a programming language, and is used for much more than just internet programming.

VB.NET is... I dunno, acutally. lol. I'm guessing it is just the latest verions of VB, and is in compliance with the rest of M$'s visual studio .NET.

Javascript is used to add dynamic scripting to a webpage. It runs client side (as apposed to server side like PHP and ASP).

That's the "Cliff's Notes" explination, anyway...

**Rifter72** · 07-20-2003, 10:49 PM

That answered my questions perfectly. I will probably stay away from anything M$ for now. Actually I bought Dreamweaver MX over Frontpage and I use Mozilla over IE. So ASP and VB will definately not be on my list for the near future. Thanks again for the quick answers!

**pyro** · 07-20-2003, 10:53 PM

You're on the right path...

lol

**PeOfEo** · 07-21-2003, 02:43 AM

ASP.NET and ASP are completly different technologies. ASP is usually done with vb script and ASP.NET is done with vb. They ASP.NET is the newer technology and is probably easyer to use then ASP, though I cannot prove that since I dont use ASP. Just because they are both microsoft dont say they are the same thing though. Pyro just so you know, ASP.NET can also be done in java script and c# if eather of those strike your fancy.

**pyro** · 07-21-2003, 07:07 AM

No, I don't believe that ASP.NET can't be written in javascript. You're probably thinking of JScript(.NET?). Also, due to the fact that VB is by far the most popular way to program ASP, it would somewhat foolish to me to learn it using a different language...