[CALUG] Convert. Web pages in .asp to html

[Dale Vogel]

Nice post. Your question: "Do any of you have any ideas on how to 
convert asp to html"  says two things to me.  You're having Microsoft 
induced technical problems, and technically you don't have a clue what 
to do.

The last paragraph of this post so aptly points out all the problems 
with Microsoft based solutions, and you wouldn't want to convert if you 
weren't having these problems.   So your stuck with Microsoft induced 
technical problems that you can't fix, or don't want to spend the money 
to fix.  Since, you're going to need help, and your money, to get out of 
this bind, my suggestion is its far cheaper for someone to develop a new 
site duplicating your old site using open source, and open standards, 
then it would be for you to hire someone to stay with Microsoft 
technology and continually over time have to fix technical problems, and 
learn new MS software that doesn't work with the old MS software, which 
by the way is how Microsoft gets you to continually pay for new software.

Do yourself a favor, and dump Microsoft, and you won't have to worry 
about conversions in the future.


On 5/5/2013 9:23 AM, Bryan J Smith wrote:
> On Sun, May 5, 2013 at 7:36 AM, Richard Stuart <rl.stuart at verizon.net 
> <mailto:rl.stuart at verizon.net>> wrote:
>
>     Do any of you have any ideas on how to convert asp to html
>
>
> As Michael originally pointed out, you don't convert to HTML.  HTML 
> pages are [largely] static content.  Active Server Pages (ASP) are 
> dynamic.  Dynamic pages use functions and libraries that can be 
> Server-side (Application Server) and/or Client-side (Browser) specific.
>
> Also, as others pointed out, there are great differences between old, 
> legacy ASP (VB-centric) and newer ASP.NET <http://ASP.NET> 
> (.NET-centric, which is C# aka Java object-like).  The biggest issue 
> with the former is that the functions and libraries are older Windows 
> IIS and IE-specific, not even supported in some cases by newer IIS and 
> IE, server and client.  The latter is at least Java-based, especially 
> when it comes to system and other methods, although there are 
> Win32-only specifics too.
>
> In both cases, your "best bet" is to investigate the great number of 
> ASP/ASP.NET <http://ASP.NET> to JavaServer Pages (JSP) converts and 
> solutions.  They won't work flawlessly, but they will often handle 
> much of the burden for you.  Again, the biggest issue will functions 
> and libraries, especially old, legacy ASP that will not even be 
> supported on newer Windows platforms, much less Linux.  As always, 
> Microsoft solutions are designed for Win32-only, and do not even 
> support some of their non-desktop/server platform well.
>
>     and cgi/perl scripts.
>
>
> Again, CGI is a dynamic, server-side solution.  You don't convert it 
> to HTML.
>
> Here's an analogy ...
>  - Thinking a dynamic server/language page can be converted into a 
> static HTML page is like thinking one can convert a Macro-laden Office 
> document into a static, flat text file.
>
> The biggest issue with enterprises is the sheer amount of investment 
> they make into periodically _abandoned_ Microsoft solutions.
>
> I had one major, household name company that evaluated, but failed 
> (for political reasons) to go with standard HTML and Java applets in 
> 2001, and made heavy investments in IIS, IE and ASP.  By 2008, they 
> were going nuts since both their on-line and internal presence -- 90% 
> of their operations -- were MS IE 6-only, and wish they had gone with 
> an open set of standards.  Unfortunately, by then, they had 400 
> developers who felt threatened with either training or replacement if 
> they moved to a open standard platform, so that "inertia" was hard to 
> defeat, even if it saved the company $100M/year.
>
> The problem is never cost, but inertia.  Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) 
> almost always favors open standards, beyond initial cost, which is 
> minor in comparison.
>
> -- bjs
>
> [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Server_Pages
> [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JavaServer_Pages
>
>
> --
> Bryan J Smith - Professional, Technical Annoyance
> b.j.smith at ieee.org <http://ieee.org> - 
> http://www.linkedin.com/in/bjsmith
>
>
>
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