ActiveX Scripting in DTS

In DTS, Microsoft® ActiveX® scripts are optional programs, implemented as custom tasks, that you can add to a package. ActiveX scripts in DTS are built using a language (Microsoft Visual Basic® Scripting Edition, Microsoft JScript®, or PerlScript) and the objects, methods, properties, and collections of the DTS object model. ActiveX scripts add power, programmability, and customizability to a package. Using ActiveX scripts, you can:

• Customize the transformation of each source column as it is copied to the destination.
• Create COM objects (such as an ADO connection).
• Change the properties of a DTS object dynamically.
• Create and set global variables to pass information from one task to another.

For an ActiveX script to execute, the computer on which the script executes must have the scripting language library installed. The libraries for VBScript and JScript are installed by default with Microsoft Internet Explorer. To write ActiveX scripts in PerlScript, you must install the PerlScript library; see your third-party documentation for more information.

Note ActiveX transformations and custom transformations can significantly effect the execution speed of a DTS package. Use them carefully when building a package. For more information, see Enhancing DTS Performance.

Global Variables

Global variables are used in situations where you need to pass data or object references between several different ActiveX scripts in a single package.

You can create global variables in several different ways:

• Using the Package Properties dialog box in the DTS Import and Export wizards or DTS Designer.
• From within a Visual Basic application.
• Dynamically from within an ActiveX script.

See Also