Prerequisites

Before we start our journey into the exciting world of ASP.NET programming, it is a good idea to check that we have a complete set of prerequisites:

• IIS and .NET

• PerlASPX

IIS and .NET

IIS provides the functionality to make the computer where it is installed into a Web server. In other words, it allows other Internet users to browse the Web pages that reside on your computer.

The standard IIS configuration supports classic ASP development. To make your Web server ASP.NET-enabled, it is enough to install the .NET Framework that is probably already installed if you have successfully worked with our PerlNET samples. The standard .NET distribution upgrades and configures your IIS to support ASP.NET development in three .NET-compliant languages:

• C#

• VB.NET

• JScript

To configure the IIS Web server settings, we use the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). It has a user-friendly user interface and allows advanced settings configurations. We present a more detailed explanation of IIS in the next sections of this chapter.

PerlASPX

To add the Perl language to the ASP.NET family, you should install an additional product from ActiveState: PerlASPX. Consult ActiveState for choosing the right version of PerlASPX for your Perl Development Kit.

During the installation process of PerlASPX, you will be asked if you want to install a set of samples. If you answer yes, then a new virtual directory named PerlASPX will be created for you, where simple Perl ASP.NET examples will reside. We will explain the notion of a virtual directory shortly.