Is ASP a "dead" language?

Have been told by another marketing agency ASP is no longer supported by MS

[soxos]

Hello tech guys, I don't usually wander over to this side of the forum, as I tend to hand out over in the SEO threads.

But I have had a fright.

As a marketing agency, mostly web based, lots of SEO, blah, you know they type. I have been told by a client, that a rival marketing agency has told them that ASP coding is DEAD as it is not supported by Microsoft.

Obviously, our client, whom we have created a nice (very little as it happens) website for, is upset because they think ASP will soon be turned off.

I tried to explain this would not happen. But this rival marketing agency has done a good job on them. Apparently it is "fact" that Microsoft no longer support ASP, and so this means it is a dead lanaguage.

So is ASP dead?
Do I need to tell my ASP coders to learn PHP quick?

I have no prference to use ASP or PHP, I am equally familar, and equally useless with both. Or, as I originally suspected is this rival company, using dirty tactics to try and steal my clients? Hmmm...

Thanks,
Susie aka Soxos

[mattur]

It's supported on Windows Server 2008/IIS7. So support based on the OS currently extends to 10/07/2018 [support.microsoft.com]. ASP is also in the next version [blogs.iis.net], Windows Server 2008 R2/IIS7.5. However, Microsoft's focus is now on ASP.NET.

[carguy84]

Hi Susie,
I think ASP to ASP.NET is a more natural progression.

Chip-

[soxos]

Thanks guys, so is it generally safe to say ASP is still alive and kicking and is unlikely to be scraped anytime soon? Just out of interest, which do you think is the most popular coding language for data driven websites? I would be really interested to know.

Thanks!

[carguy84]

ASP is definitely still alive and kicking.

Most popular coding language is probably PHP.

[Seidl]

Yeah I agree PHP seems more popular but I still use classic ASP...haven't gotten around to familiarizing myself with anything else.

[Wlauzon]

which do you think is the most popular coding language for data driven websites..

I would say PHP at this point by far, with ASP.NET moving up semi-fast, especially for higher end applications.

Generic asp seems to be pretty much relegated to older sites now - I see almost nothing new being developed in it.

[Seb7]

I think ASP to ASP.NET is a more natural progression.

Most people think this, but I personally think its more in the title. If asp.net was named something else, asp.net wouldnt have half the share it currently has. Yeah, it has simular syntax, but the style of programming just does my head in.

asp to php is easier. I know asp, asp.net and php quite well, and rate asp.net the worse of the three. I only recommend asp.net if your a PC application coder.

[mattglet]

I only recommend asp.net if your a PC application coder.

A common misconception. All you need to do is get some understanding of Object Oriented Programming, and you're ready to code in VB.NET. You will realize (as your knowledge grows) that your first .NET code will be absolute garbage, but everyone has to start somewhere.

As someone who has no formal coding education and originally started with classic ASP 10 years ago, I figured I'd be the LAST person to be able to use .NET properly. Now I'm the lead developer for a multi-million dollar website, using C#.

All you need is the desire to learn .NET, and learn how to use it properly. The rest will take care of itself.

[sgietz]

I started coding when ASP.NET was in its diapers, so I used ASP. I quickly jumped on .NET and never looked back. The code is much cleaner and makes more sense. After the initial phase of being overwhelmed by the new concepts, it will eventually reveal itself as the more practical approach to coding.

I don't know PHP. When I see it, it looks like the same spaghetti code that ASP is infamous for, scattered throughout an entire page, with bits and pieces everywhere ... what a nightmare!

[g1smd]

That's down to the design philosophy, not the language itself.

Just like you can put all your visual styling inside HTML pages using font tags or inline CSS or you can move all the styling to the head or put it in an external CSS file, so you can separate your PHP functionality from your HTML code and content too.

[carguy84]

I don't know PHP very well, but I consider it very similar to the way ASP works, and if that is the case, PHP will be littered around HTML no matter how well you design it out.

ASP.NET was a totally new way of thinking/programming for me, but once I got over that initial hump and learned the little tricks, I never looked back. Sure there are some major quirks (checkboxes, lists, postbacks!) but it is truely separating code from display code.