ASP ADO Introduction

How it works

ActiveX Data Objects is a COM data-access API. Connection opens a provider, Command executes a statement, and Recordset exposes returned fields and rows. ADO is not a database engine. These labs use the actual 32-bit Microsoft Jet OLE DB 4.0 provider and fresh private .mdb files. They are not SQL Server, Access UI or production storage tests.

Use the separate Windows lab

This is a legacy-maintenance course. Classic ASP uses IIS and VBScript; ASP.NET Web Pages uses .NET Framework and Razor. Neither runs in PHP, Apache or Bhylu’s browser playground. The reviewed baseline is 32-bit IIS Express 10.0.2001, .NET Framework 4.8, Web Pages / Razor 3.2.9 and the Windows VBScript engine. ADO database examples use the actual 32-bit Jet OLE DB 4.0 provider, not SQL Server or XAMPP MySQL.

Download download-lab.mjs into a separate empty learning folder. Run node download-lab.mjs to fetch hash-checked source files into a new bhylu-asp-lab folder, then cd bhylu-asp-lab and node run-lab.mjs --start. Before deployment, local preview uses node download-lab.mjs http://127.0.0.1:8000/examples/asp/. The source downloader refuses an existing destination. Review its source before running it.

The foreground launcher needs your own 32-bit IIS Express installation with Classic ASP, .NET Framework 4.8 and the VBScript engine available. It downloads the three pinned Web Pages packages from NuGet into its private cache, binds only localhost on port 8142 and stops when you press Ctrl+C. Keep its console open. Visit http://localhost:8142/ado-introduction.asp. It does not install IIS, enable Windows features, change Apache/PHP/MySQL, or publish any files. See the bundled README.txt for manual setup and test boundaries.

Each complete Classic ASP source requires the supplied Global.asa acknowledgement; Web Pages uses _PageStart.cshtml. Database and file examples create owned temporary files only under this private lab’s blocked App_Data folder. Sources are public text downloads; do not upload them as executable teaching endpoints on Bhylu.

Download ado-introduction.asp

Example

<%@ Language="VBScript" CodePage="65001" %>
<% Option Explicit
Response.Buffer = True
Response.ContentType = "text/plain"
Response.Charset = "utf-8"
If Application("BhyluLab") <> "YES" Then
    Response.Status = "403 Forbidden"
    Response.Write "Use the separate Bhylu learning lab."
    Response.End
End If
Dim fso, dbFile, catalog, cn
Set fso = Server.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
dbFile = fso.BuildPath(Application("BhyluData"), fso.GetTempName & ".mdb")
If fso.FileExists(dbFile) Then Err.Raise 5, , "Refuse an existing database"
Set catalog = Server.CreateObject("ADOX.Catalog")
catalog.Create "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=" & dbFile
Set cn = catalog.ActiveConnection
cn.Execute "CREATE TABLE Workshops (Id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, Label TEXT(60), Seats INTEGER)"
cn.Execute "INSERT INTO Workshops VALUES (1,'Mending basics',3)"
cn.Execute "INSERT INTO Workshops VALUES (2,'Patchwork circle',0)"
cn.Execute "INSERT INTO Workshops VALUES (3,'Button repairs',2)"

Response.Write "Rows: " & cn.Execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM Workshops")(0)
cn.Close
Set cn = Nothing
Set catalog = Nothing
fso.DeleteFile dbFile
Set fso = Nothing
%>

Response.Write "Rows: " & cn.Execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM Workshops")(0)

Expected result

Rows: 3

The complete download creates three fictional workshops before this query and closes the connection before removing its own database. Provider syntax and installation requirements are explicit. The normal XAMPP MySQL instance is not used.

Primary references

• Microsoft Classic ASP configuration
• Microsoft Web Pages documentation
• Microsoft ADO API reference