Optimize ASP

SEs preferences

[poet]

I have an experienced programmer creating a dynamic db-driven site in ASP. Unfortunately, this programmer does not hang out on webmasterworld and does not know the "things to do" to optimize ASP sites.

What are the 3 most important points that I should request? What are the most important things to avoid?

[vbgod]

It depends on the site. If the site contains sensitive information, then I would constantly think about security. If the site was tapping into a HUGE database, then I would think of ways to make querying more efficient (Stored Procedures, avoiding a select all statement, etc). I guess it really depends on the site. Oh, and if the site is in ASP (Classic ASP / 3.0), then I'd at least consider stepping up to .NET

[poet]

The site does not have sensitive information. It has my book catalogue and some sales data, but all credit card stuff takes place on PayPal. Otherwise, just Articles. Probably 500 - 1,000 pages after a year or two. Also, some graphics to go with the articles.

The Big Question:
I have a "frame" in my graphic design: a border on top and on the left hand side. Text appears in a text window.

How does the programmer set up the border without using Frames and making the SEs mad?

I want to use each article in multiple "magazines" on the same site. To avoid the duplication filters, I will have each article available at a unique url. The different "magazines" can link to the article-url to display the article. This means, essentially, displaying the contents of one url inside the border supplied by the Magazine.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Re the Big Question: I always create a header.asp and a footer.asp which I include in all the other pages.

[poet]

Zaphod

The "Frame" that goes around each article that is displayed consists of a header and a border on the left site.

Will your "header.asp" and "footer.asp" supply the infor to create the left side border as well as the header?

[pageoneresults]

What are the 3 most important points that I should request?

First and foremost, ISAPI_Rewrite.
Second, valid html.
Third, http compression.

What are the most important things to avoid?

First and foremost, custom 404 scripts used to redirect users.
Second, improper URI structure.
Third, invalid html/xhtml.

[mattglet]

First and foremost, custom 404 scripts used to redirect users.

You should only avoid this if you don't know what you are doing.

[poet]

Thanks, all.

One more item. I would like to share Articles among several publications on the site. But I need to avoid G's duplicatino filter.

So I am telling the programmer to send each Article to its own url. Then each publication will display the Article within the header and left border that are distinctive to the publication.

In other words the publication will go to the Article, instead of the other way around.

Does this make any sense? And will the header.asp and footer.asp make it happen?

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Poet - yes. What you could do is first set a variable, then include header.asp and within that page, depending on the value of said variable, display whatever you need.

And as long as all the article pages include the same header.asp all should work fine.

[doortodoororganics]

I've got a new robust client (Pr9, 100,000+ pages in google's index) writen in aspx.

my question is this:
pageoneresults, Would you suggest a different top 3?

I'm not at all familiar with aspx - can you say "sink, or swim?"

thanks

[pageoneresults]

First and foremost, study ASP.NET.
Second, study some more.
Third, figure out a way to work in harmony with the aspx pages. Unless you are developing the controls for those pages, just leave them be for now.

PR9? Googlebot has probably indexed everything from that site and then some. ;)

[tbear]

While we are on the subject, I have to pass a link from a clients site to a shared ASP database, should I forget about trying to optimise the ASP side of things and create alternate optimised content pages for the site?
I really would prefer to learn PHP (Getting there slowly) then delve into ASP.......

[doortodoororganics]

"PR9? Googlebot has probably indexed everything from that site and then some. ;) "

only the home page has a 9. the level 2 pages have 8s.
from there i stop using the pr bar...everything has a 0...but is performing like a high pr7.

i"ll take your advice and keep "well enough alone" and put my focus on adding to the existing structure. in another forum standalone subdomains, supported only by a lone high pr site, was also suggested as a means of extending the site.

thanks

[tomasz]

.Net has built in its own rewrite. I strongly recommend to use it. My site (100k+ pages also) have 80% of the page presented as html instead of aspx

[irishaff]

Hi PageOne,

First and foremost, ISAPI_Rewrite.

From what i can read on the web, this is similar to mod_rewrite? Do you have any advice for practical implementation? Of most concern to me running IIS and ASP is ensuring [example.com...] is forwarded to [example.com...] . ( avoid dup penalties or problems associated with poorly formed inbounds ).

Ta
David

[edited by: Xoc at 6:38 pm (utc) on Jan. 10, 2005]
[edit reason] changed to use example.com [/edit]

[pageoneresults]

From what i can read on the web, this is similar to mod_rewrite?

Very similar, they both serve the same function.

Do you have any advice for practical implementation? Of most concern to me running IIS and ASP is ensuring [example.com...] is forwarded to [example.com...]

Two lines in the httpd.ini file and you are good to go for the above issue...

RewriteCond Host: ^example\.com 
RewriteRule (.*) http\://www\.example\.com$1 [I,RP]

[edited by: Xoc at 6:39 pm (utc) on Jan. 10, 2005]
[edit reason] changed to use example.com [/edit]

[irishaff]

Hi,

Thank you for getting back to me. I am going to send this to my shared hosting company and cross my fingers.

David

[RossWal]

Not to hijack this thread, but can we expand on the merits/issues of using custom 404 scripts vs. ISAPI rewrite?

[mattglet]

Probably should start a new thread for future visitors, but a main reason to use 404 pages is for people on a shared hosting plan that doesn't allow 3rd party software to be installed.

I personally enjoy custom 404 pages because they are very very powerful if you know what you're doing.