First off, here is a better place for this question:
microsoft.publi c.dotnet.framew ork.aspnet
But I will try to get you started here....
A web server is a machine that is running web server software. In a
Microsoft world, that means Internet Information Server (IIS), which is part
of Windows XP Professional Edition but not included with XP Home Edition.
This web server can have other functions as well. It could also be a
database server (where the actual database resides), it could be a file
server, an FTP server, a mail server and so on. Or, it could just be a
dedicated web server.
When you develop your FrontPage web pages on your machine, you are not
required to have a web server installed on your machine or even one that you
can connect to on a different machine. FrontPage essentially allows you to
create "Disk Based" (no web server) or "Server Based" (with web server)
webs. It sounds like you've been building disk based webs. Those FrontPage
Server Extensions you mentioned allow FrontPage to give you features that
normally require server programming without you having to do the work. If
you want to take advantage of the features that the server extensions
provide, then you are required to have a web server. If you don't have a
web server, then you can still use FP, but not those features.
Now to VS.NET and ASP.NET....
ASP.NET is all about web server-side programming, period! You WILL NEED a
web server in order to even get started in ASP.NET. VS.NET will ask you
what web server you wish to place your "project" on before you even begin.
If all you are doing is providing "static" (pages that don't change) content
via .htm files on your web site, stick with FrontPage. If you need to get
into things that .htm files (client side) can't do (database programming),
then you need to move up to a server side programming platform (ASP.NET).
HTH
"Woody Splawn" <wo***@splawns. com> wrote in message
news:%2******** ********@TK2MSF TNGP09.phx.gbl. ..
If this is not the right newsgroup for this question please direct me.
I have been using VB.net for stand alone and client/server kinds of things
but am beginning to explore its use for web applications. I need to ask a
couple of real basic questions.
My understanding is that if you are going to write an application for the
web using VS.net you need to have a web server. I suppose what is meant by
this is that you need to have a seperate machine (PC) connected to the web
who's sole purpose is to get and send data relative to your applicaiton.
Sort of a referee. I suppose this is where your database would reside if,
for example, you have a web app that provides data to or retreives data
from a user.
I will start with a real basic question. If I wanted to create a web
application that did not involve the exchange of data to a database would
I still need a seperate machine? I ask this question because, for example,
I have a web site right now that was created with FrontPage 2000. It does
not get any information from the user. I mean it stores no data in a
database. It just provide information about certain services I offer. Just
wondering if I could recreate this rather simple application using VB.net without
having to buy a seperate machine to act as a web server. I am thinking
that if I can, perhaps this would allow me to at least get into the game
and allow me to have one tool for creating my simply web app instead of VS and
FrontPage.
Anyone?
P.S. My service provider provides what are called FrontPage extensions
and all I do is create the app in FrontPage and then transfer it to their
server. Is there something similar to this I can do with VS. Would I be
able to do this, for example, if the ISP had the network framework on
their machine?