So far we've discussed all aspects of programming scriptlets. In doing so we have pointed out drawbacks and shortcomings, as well as key features such as reusability, components and so forth. The scriptlet technology, however, is continuously evolving. Just consider that, for example, when I started writing this book, in the fall of 1997, scriptlets had only just been introduced and there was no "public" idea of what things like Remote Scripting might be.
Instead, we have already covered Remote Scripting and now we're about to introduce a completely new and exciting application of scriptlet technology. Its official name is Server Scriptlets, but you might also find them referred to through the more evocative name of COM Scriptlets. Basically, Server Scriptlets are scriptlets with a more flexible syntax that behave like a COM server. From the programmer's standpoint, Server Scriptlets are COM servers written in any of the available script languages.
In this chapter we're going to examine the various language backdrops and then delve into the following details in more depth:
At the time of writing Server Scriptlets were still under beta testing. Consequently, some of the topics discussed here may vary by the time of the final release. The latest and most up to date news is available from the following address:
http://www.microsoft.com/scripting
At the same address you can also find a useful FAQ on the subject of Server Scriptlets.
Despite the fact that Server Scriptlets and DHTML Scriptlets have a great deal in common title wise, conceptually they are quite different. In particular, Server Scriptlets are perceived from external applications such as COM objects. This means that they need to follow special behaviors and specific conventions that simply don't apply to DHTML Scriptlets. In this chapter, we're going to refer to aspects of programming that will not always be entirely familiar to Web developers. I have, however, tried to make the unknown as pleasant as possible and have always tried to provide the simplest explanations. However, it is important to be aware of the advanced nature of this chapter
A good understanding of the COM model is welcome—although you don't need to be an expert COM programmer. Let's say that this chapter assumes that you have a reasonably precise idea of what a COM server is and how it works. This kind of knowledge is required because, after all, a Server Scriptlet is just a COM object. To know more about COM, you might want to consider flicking through "ActiveX COM- Control Programming" by Sing Li and Panos Econopoulos ISBN 1-861000-37-5 published by Wrox Press.