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Q246915: Using <% %> Instead of <SCRIPT> Tags Affects Processing Order

Article: Q246915
Product(s): Internet Information Server
Version(s): winnt:4.0,5.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbOSWin2000 kbDSupport kbiis400 kbiis500
Last Modified: 13-FEB-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0 
- Microsoft Internet Information Services version 5.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When using <SCRIPT RUNAT="SERVER"></SCRIPT> tags instead of or in
addition to <% %> tags to denote Active Server Pages (ASP) code in a page,
the processing of ASP code may appear to be out of order.

CAUSE
=====

This behavior is by design. ASP code in <SCRIPT> tags is processed after
the end of the page's HTML information, whereas ASP code in <% %> tags is
processed in-line.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The following examples will illustrate this behavior.

- Save the following script as "Test1.asp" (without the quotation marks) in a
  folder with at least "script" access defined:

  <html>
  <body>
  <script runat="server" language="vbscript">
      Response.Write "<p>Line 1</p>"
  </script>
  <p>Line 2</p>
  </body>
  </html>

  Browsing this page will output the following HTML:

  <html>
  <body>
  <p>Line 2</p>
  </body>
  </html>
  <p>Line 1</p>

  The HTML output would seem at first glance to be out of order based on the
  location of the script inside the page.

- Save this next script as "Test2.asp" (without the quotation marks) in the
  same folder as for the previous example:

  <% @language="vbscript" %>
  <html>
  <body>
  <%
      Response.Write "<p>Line 1</p>"
  %>
  <p>Line 2</p>
  </body>
  </html>

  Browsing this page will output the following HTML:

  <html>
  <body>
  <p>Line 1</p>
  <p>Line 2</p>
  </body>
  </html>

  So, if you use <SCRIPT> tags for ASP, they process after the page has
  processed, whereas <% %> tags execute in-line. This can lead to
  confusion, as shown in the following scenario.

- Save this page as "Test3.asp" (without the quotation marks) in the same
  folder as earlier:

  <script runat="server" language="vbscript">
      strText = "<p>Line 1</p>"
  </script>
  <html>
  <body>
  <%
      Response.Write strText
  %>
  <p>Line 2</p>
  </body>
  </html>

  Browsing this page will output the following HTML:

  <html>
  <body>
  <p>Line 2</p>
  </body>
  </html>

  The text "Line 1" is not output because the variable "strText" will not be
  populated until after the Response.Write has already been executed.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbOSWin2000 kbDSupport kbiis400 kbiis500 
Technology        : kbiisSearch kbiis500 kbiis400
Version           : winnt:4.0,5.0
Issue type        : kbprb
Solution Type     : kbpending

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