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ASP Documentation Tool™

A number of programming languages have well defined documentation schemes that make it straightforward to generate low level documentation. Examples are Java's JavaDoc (see sample output) and Perl's PerlDoc. Unfortunately there is no such system for Microsoft's Active Server Pages (ASP), so creating technical documentation for an ASP application is usually an afterthought.

If you have ever left documentation to the very last moment, or have inherited a web application from another development team, then you will find the ASP Documentation Tool™ useful. The ASP Documentation Tool™ creates comprehensive technical documentation for ASP 2.0 and 3.0 web applications written in VBScript and JScript.

An evaluation version of the ASP Documentation Tool™ is available for download. The full version is available for immediate online purchase from my business website: Winnersh Triangle Web Solutions Limited.

For ASP.NET code, a .NET Documentation Tool is also available. This code documentor creates technical documentation for any .NET Framework VB.NET or C# code, and has additional functionality for documenting ASP.NET web projects.

ASP Documentation Tool™ Screenshots

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ASP Documentation Tool™ - Sample ASP Documentation

The  ASP Documentation Tool™ creates documentation in standard HTML format, a sample report of which is shown in the image below:

Documentation for a sample ASP website (click image to view actual documentation)

The ASP Documentation Tool™ also has the option to save the report other formats:

• Microsoft HTML Help format is a single Windows help file containing the generated technical documentation for the website. A cross-referenced index and keyword search facility are included  [view HTML Help sample]

• Plain text format can be used to form the basis of Word format documentation or other reports [view text report sample].

Using the ASP Documentation Tool™'s Documentation

Documentation created by the ASP Documentation Tool™ includes the following information:

• ASP Pages: Line count, code breakdown, whether they are used as include files, which include files are available to each page and whether the page uses the Option Explicit directive. Includes syntax highlighted, colour coded and line numbered source code of each page.
• ASP VBScript functions: Where they are defined, and where in the project they are called from.
• ASP VBScript subroutines: Where they are defined, and where in the project they are called from.
• ASP VBScript constants: Where they are defined, and where in the project they are used.
• ASP JScript functions: Where they are defined, and where in the project they are called from.
• Client-side JavaScript functions: Where they are defined.
• Which server components are used on the site, and where they are instantiated. Both VBScript CreateObject and JScript ActiveXObject commands are supported.
• Which Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) files are associated with the project.
• Where Application and Session variables are used in both VBScript and JScript.
• Where server-side redirections are used. The following are supported:
  • Response.Redirect
  • Server.Transfer
  • Server.Execute
• Which Request.Form, Request.QueryString and Request.ServerVariables variables are used on the site, and where in the ASP code they are used.
• Where Cookies are used. ASP Response.Cookies and Request.Cookies are supported. JavaScript's document.cookies usage is also reported.
• The comments associated with ASP functions and subroutines (provided they are in the ASP source code above the function and subroutine definitions).
• HTML Forms: Where they are defined.
• Email Addresses: Shows where email addresses are used in the files.
• Line Counts: Full line counts of each page in the web application. Line counts are also broken down into code types (ASP VBScript, ASP JScript and client-side JavaScript).
• Unused Code: Shows ASP VBScript functions and subroutines and JScript functions that don't appear to be used in the web application.
• Under-used Code: Shows ASP VBScript functions and subroutines and JScript functions that aren't used extensively within web application.
• Commented Code: Shows the approximate amount of commented out VBScript and JScript code within each ASP file. These reports can assist with code tidying and rationalisation projects. They can also help identify pages with code that needs commenting.
• Coding language usage: Shows the proportions of JavaScript, HTML and ASP (VBScript and Jscript) within each page within the web application. Identifies code using the Microsoft Script Encoder, also pages using PerlScript or Python scripting languages.
• Documentation for custom built COM components that have been created with Visual Basic 6.0. Note that for dedicated documentation of Visual Basic 6.0 code, a separate VB Documentation Tool is available.
• Documentation for SQL Server 7.0, 2000 or 2005 databases associated with the ASP project can also be included. A separate SQL Documentation Tool is also available for creating standalone documentation for SQL Server databases.
• Documentation for Microsoft Access databases (Access 95, Access 97 and Access 2000) associated with the ASP project can also be incorporated into the documentation.

Downloads

The evaluation version of the ASP Documentation Tool™ code documentor for ASP is available for download using the link below:

• ASPDocumentationTool_Evaluation_Version.zip. Includes  ASP Documentation Tool™, documentation and sample project.

If you want to purchase the commercial version, you may do so from this purchase page. There are a number of special offers, including a discounted ASP Documentation Tool™ + .NET Documentation Tool bundle.

• A .NET Documentation Tool is also available. This creates project documentation for .NET applications (including ASP.NET) written in VB.NET and C#.

Legal Issues

Copyright (C) 2002 - 2008 Winnersh Triangle Web Solutions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This software is provided "as is'' without warranty of any kind. The ASP Documentation Tool™ is not free software, and as such it may not be freely distributed without the permission of the author.

Useful Development Tools

ASP Documentation Tool™

Automatically creates developer documentation for ASP 2.0 and 3.0 web applications written in VBScript and JScript. Documentation for Microsoft Access, SQL Server 7/2000 databases and Visual Basic 6.0 components associated with the web application can also be incorporated into the reports. Documentation is created in HTML, HTML Help and plain text formats.

View Sample Output (HTML Help format).     View Sample Output (HTML Format).     Download Trial Version (5.2Mb ZIP file).

.NET Documentation Tool

Automatically creates technical documentation for .NET Framework Windows and ASP.NET applications written in C# or VB.NET and SQL Server 7/2000/2005 or Microsoft Access databases associated with the application. Documentation is created in HTML, HTML Help and plain text formats.

View Sample Output (HTML Help format).     View Sample Output (HTML Format).     Download Trial Version (5Mb ZIP file).

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View Sample Output (HTML Help format).     View Sample Output (HTML Format).     Download Trial Version (10.3Mb ZIP file).

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View Sample Output (HTML Format).     Download Trial Version (3Mb ZIP file).

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