Debugging Classic ASP in Visual Studio 2019

Debugging classic ASP (Active Server Pages) in Visual Studio 2019 is something that can be a bit tricky due to the platform’s age and lack of support. Nevertheless, with a few adjustments and workarounds, it is entirely possible to debug classic ASP applications in Visual Studio 2019. In this pillar article, we will take a closer look at the steps you can take to debug classic ASP in Visual Studio 2019.

Step 1: Environment Setup

The first thing you need to do when debugging classic ASP in Visual Studio 2019 is to set up your environment. This involves installing and configuring the necessary tools and software, including:

• Visual Studio 2019 with ASP.NET and web development workload
• Internet Information Services (IIS) installed on your machine
• Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) installed
• Classic ASP code/files
• A web application project in Visual Studio 2019

Step 2: Configuring Visual Studio 2019 for Classic ASP Debugging

Once you have set up your environment, the next step is to configure Visual Studio 2019 for Classic ASP debugging. Here are the steps involved:

1. Open Visual Studio 2019 and create a new web application project
2. Select the “ASP.NET Web Application” template from the “Create a new project” window and click “Create”
3. Select “Web Forms” from the new project window and click “Create”
4. Navigate to the “Solution Explorer” window and right-click on the project name
5. Select “Add” > “Existing Item” and add the Classic ASP files that you want to debug
6. Right-click on the project name again and select “Add” > “New Item”
7. Select “Text File” from the “Add New Item” window and name the file “debug.asp”
8. Add the following code to the “debug.asp” file:


<%@ Page Language="VBScript" Debug="True" %>

<% Response.Write("Hello, world!") %>


9. Save the project and close Visual Studio 2019
10. Open IIS Manager from the “Windows Administrative Tools” folder
11. Right-click on the “Default Web Site” and select “Add Application”
12. Enter a name for the application, select the project folder, and set the application pool to “DefaultAppPool”
13. Navigate to the project folder in Windows Explorer and locate the “web.config” file
14. Open the file and add the following code to the “system.webServer” element:


<httpErrors errorMode="DetailedLocalOnly" />

<asp scriptErrorSentToBrowser="true"/>


15. Save the changes and close the file

Step 3: Debugging the Classic ASP Application

Now that you have set up your environment and configured Visual Studio 2019 for Classic ASP debugging, you can start debugging the Classic ASP application. Here are the steps involved:

1. Open Visual Studio 2019 and open the project
2. Set a breakpoint in one of the Classic ASP files
3. Navigate to the “debug.asp” file in the web browser (e.g. http://localhost/webapp/debug.asp)
4. When the page loads, Visual Studio 2019 will prompt you to attach to the process
5. Select “w3wp.exe” from the list of processes and click “Attach”
6. Refresh the page in the web browser
7. Visual Studio 2019 should stop at the breakpoint and allow you to step through the code and inspect variables

Conclusion

Debugging classic ASP in Visual Studio 2019 can be a bit challenging due to the platform’s age and lack of support. However, with the steps outlined in this pillar article, you can set up your environment and configure Visual Studio 2019 to debug classic ASP applications successfully. Remember to set a breakpoint, attach to the process, and refresh the page to see the debugger in action. With these steps, you can take your classic ASP development to the next level and avoid potential errors and issues.