ASP <asp> | Microsoft Learn

Overview

The <asp> element specifies configuration settings for an ASP application. These include developer-focused configuration settings, such as attributes that control debugging and error return settings. The <asp> element also includes attributes that control the character set used by the application, the script language for the application, and whether error logging is enabled for the application.

The <asp> element can also contain elements that configure COM+, ASP caching, buffering limits, and session state for a site or application.

Compatibility

Version Notes

Setup

To support and configure ASP applications on your Web server, you must install the ASP module. To install the ASP module, use the following steps.

Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2

On the taskbar, click Server Manager .

In Server Manager , click the Manage menu, and then click Add Roles and Features .

In the Add Roles and Features wizard, click Next . Select the installation type and click Next . Select the destination server and click Next .

On the Server Roles page, expand Web Server (IIS) , expand Web Server , expand Application Development , and then select ASP .

If the Add features that are required by ASP? dialog box appears, click Add Features . (This page appears only if you have not already installed the ISAPI Extensions role service on your server.)

On the Server Roles page, click Next .

On the Select features page, click Next .

On the Confirm installation selections page, click Install .

On the Results page, click Close .

Windows 8 or Windows 8.1

On the Start screen, move the pointer all the way to the lower left corner, right-click the Start button, and then click Control Panel .

In Control Panel , click Programs and Features , and then click Turn Windows features on or off .

Expand Internet Information Services , expand World Wide Web Services , expand Application Development Features , and then select ASP .

The ISAPI Extensions role will be selected if it has not already been installed.

Click OK .

Click Close .

Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2

On the taskbar, click Start , point to Administrative Tools , and then click Server Manager .

In the Server Manager hierarchy pane, expand Roles , and then click Web Server (IIS) .

In the Web Server (IIS) pane, scroll to the Role Services section, and then click Add Role Services .

On the Select Role Services page of the Add Role Services Wizard , select ASP .

If the Add role services required by ASP dialog box appears, click Add Required Role Services . (This page appears only if you have not already installed the ISAPI Extensions role service on your server.)

On the Select Role Services page, click Next .

On the Confirm Installation Selections page, click Install .

On the Results page, click Close .

Windows Vista or Windows 7

On the taskbar, click Start , and then click Control Panel .

In Control Panel , click Programs and Features , and then click Turn Windows Features on or off .

Expand Internet Information Services , then World Wide Web Services , then Application Development Features .

Select ASP , and then click OK .

How To

How to configure ASP settings for a site or application

Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager :

If you are using Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2:

On the taskbar, click Server Manager , click Tools , and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager .

If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 8.1:

Hold down the Windows key, press the letter X , and then click Control Panel .

Click Administrative Tools , and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager .

If you are using Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2:

On the taskbar, click Start , point to Administrative Tools , and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager .

If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7:

On the taskbar, click Start , and then click Control Panel .

Double-click Administrative Tools , and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager .

In the Connections pane, expand the server name, expand Sites , and then navigate to the Web site or Web application that you want to configure.

In the site or application Home pane, double-click ASP .

In the ASP pane, configure the required settings, and then click Apply in the Actions pane.

Configuration

You can configure the <asp> element at the server level in the ApplicationHost.config file. However, by default, you cannot configure the <asp> element at the site level or application level.

Attributes

Attribute Description


    appAllowClientDebug

Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether client-side debugging is enabled. The default value is


    false


    appAllowDebugging

Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether server-side debugging is enabled. The default value is


    false


    bufferingOn

Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether buffering of ASP application output is enabled. The default value is


    true


    calcLineNumber

Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether ASP calculates and stores the line number of each executed line of code in order to provide the number in an error report. The default value is


    true


    codePage

Optional uint attribute. Specifies the default character set for an ASP application. This value is an integer in the range from 0 to 2147483647. For example, the value 1252 sets the default character set to a Latin character set used in American English and many European alphabets. The default value is


    enableApplicationRestart

Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether ASP applications are automatically restarted whenever a configuration setting is changed. The default value is


    true


    enableAspHtmlFallback

Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether a .htm file with the same name as the requested .asp file, if it exists, will be sent to the client instead of the .asp file. This will occur in the event that the request is rejected due to a full request queue. The default value is


    true


    enableChunkedEncoding

Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether HTTP 1.1 chunked transfer encoding is enabled. The default value is


    true


    enableParentPaths

Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether ASP pages allow paths relative to the current directory or above the current directory. The default value is


    false


    errorsToNTLog

Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether logging of ASP errors to the Windows Event Log is enabled. The default value is


    false


    exceptionCatchEnable

Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether COM component exception trapping is enabled. If set to false , the Microsoft Script Debugger tool does not catch exceptions sent by the component that you are debugging. The default value is


    true

. Optional uint attribute. Specifies the default locale identifier for an ASP application. This value is an integer in the range from 0 to 2147483647. The default value is


    logErrorRequests

Optional Boolean attribute.

Specifies whether ASP errors are written to the client browser and the IIS logs by default.

The default value is


    true


    runOnEndAnonymously

Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether SessionOnEnd and ApplicationOnEnd global ASP functions are run as the anonymous user. The default value is


    true


    scriptErrorMessage

Optional string attribute. Specifies the error message that will be sent to the browser when specific debugging errors are not sent to the client. The default value is


    An error occurred on the server when processing the URL. Please contact the system administrator


    scriptErrorSentToBrowser

Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether the writing of debugging specifics to the client browser is enabled. The default value is


    false


    scriptLanguage

Optional string attribute. Specifies the default script language for all ASP applications running on the Web server. The default value is


    VBScript

Child Elements

Element Description

Configuration Sample

The following configuration example enables buffering and session state for ASP applications on a site named Contoso, and disables parent paths for that same site.

<location path="Contoso">
   <system.webServer>
      <asp enableParentPaths="false" bufferingOn="true">
         <session allowSessionState="true" />
   </system.webServer>
</location>
Sample Code
The following code examples enable buffering and session state for ASP applications on a site named Contoso, and disable parent paths for that same site.
AppCmd.exe
appcmd.exe set config "Contoso" -section:system.webServer/asp /enableParentPaths:"False" /commit:apphost
appcmd.exe set config "Contoso" -section:system.webServer/asp /bufferingOn:"True" /commit:apphost
appcmd.exe set config "Contoso" -section:system.webServer/asp /session.allowSessionState:"True" /commit:apphost
You must be sure to set the commit parameter to apphost when you use AppCmd.exe to configure these settings. This commits the configuration settings to the appropriate location section in the ApplicationHost.config file.
using System;
using System.Text;
using Microsoft.Web.Administration;
internal static class Sample
   private static void Main()
      using (ServerManager serverManager = new ServerManager())
         Configuration config = serverManager.GetApplicationHostConfiguration();
         ConfigurationSection aspSection = config.GetSection("system.webServer/asp", "Contoso");
         aspSection["enableParentPaths"] = false;
         aspSection["bufferingOn"] = true;
         ConfigurationElement sessionElement = aspSection.GetChildElement("session");
         sessionElement["allowSessionState"] = true;
         serverManager.CommitChanges();
VB.NET
Imports System
Imports System.Text
Imports Microsoft.Web.Administration
Module Sample
   Sub Main()
      Dim serverManager As ServerManager = New ServerManager
      Dim config As Configuration = serverManager.GetApplicationHostConfiguration
      Dim aspSection As ConfigurationSection = config.GetSection("system.webServer/asp", "Contoso")
      aspSection("enableParentPaths") = False
      aspSection("bufferingOn") = True
      Dim sessionElement As ConfigurationElement = aspSection.GetChildElement("session")
      sessionElement("allowSessionState") = True
      serverManager.CommitChanges()
   End Sub
End Module
JavaScript
var adminManager = new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager');
adminManager.CommitPath = "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST";
var aspSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.webServer/asp", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST/Contoso");
aspSection.Properties.Item("enableParentPaths").Value = false;
aspSection.Properties.Item("bufferingOn").Value = true;
var sessionElement = aspSection.ChildElements.Item("session");
sessionElement.Properties.Item("allowSessionState").Value = true;
adminManager.CommitChanges();
VBScript
Set adminManager = CreateObject("Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager")
adminManager.CommitPath = "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST"
Set aspSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.webServer/asp", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST/Contoso")
aspSection.Properties.Item("enableParentPaths").Value = False
aspSection.Properties.Item("bufferingOn").Value = True
Set sessionElement = aspSection.ChildElements.Item("session")
sessionElement.Properties.Item("allowSessionState").Value = True
adminManager.CommitChanges()