Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) is an Active Scripting language patterned after Visual Basic. Created in 1996, VBScript is a lightweight language with a fast interpreter.
The scripting language evolved from Visual Basic, which included the Microsoft Visual Basic Development System, and Visual Basic for Applications. More specifically, VBScript was a subset of the Visual Basic for Applications programming language and uses the familiar syntax that made VBS so popular as a language.
VBScript began as a client-side scripting language, used primarily to create interactive web pages. Although it worked well in a Microsoft Internet Explorer environment, it was not supported by the Netscape Navigator browser, and a common scripting language, ECMAScript, which had become the de facto standard for client-side scripting and was supported by both browsers. Netscape's implementation of ECMAScript was known as JavaScript, while Microsoft's was JScript. Thus, when version 1.0 of VBScript was released, Microsoft Internet Explorer was the only browser that would support it.
Within a couple of years, version 2.0 was included in Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) in 1997, supporting server-side scripting using ASP. Version 3.0 included no new language features but was incorporated in Outlook 98 and Windows Script Host 1.0, as well as in IE and IIS. As in the previous version, Version 4.0 introduced no new language features either, but the Microsoft Scripting Runtime Library included a File System object model as well as a Dictionary object, which had been introduced with VBScript 2.0.
Version 5.0 shipped with IE 5.0 and IIS 5.0, included in Windows 2000. This version added new language enhancements, such as support for scripted classes, regular expression searches, and the ability to dynamically build expressions to be evaluated or executed. Submatches were added to the regular expression class in VBScript 5.5, a capability already available in JScript.
With the release of Microsoft's .NET framework, the scripting team decided to implement future support for VBScript within ASP.NET for web development, and to suspend future versions of the VBScript engine. Microsoft recommends that systems administrators migrate to Windows PowerShell, although the scripting engine will continue to ship with future releases of Microsoft Windows and IIS for the foreseeable future.
Scripting languages are glue languages. They are used to glue things together, binding the rest of the script together, such as components or objects.
Unlike Java or C++, VBScript is not an object-oriented programming language. Rather, it is an object-based scripting language that makes use of the Component Object Model (COM) to access the elements of the environment in which it runs. Its script needs to be executed within the host environment that was provided by Windows, such as the Microsoft browser, IIS, and Windows Script Host.
Topics related to VBScript are the focus of resources listed in this category. This may include any tools designed to facilitate the use of VBScript, as well as user groups, forums, tutorials, or guides.
Recommended Resources
Is VBScript or VBA Dead/Dying?
The site asks the question as to whether Visual Basic Script or Visual Basic for Applications is dying, then answers the questions in the negative, discussing changes that Microsoft has made in respect to the scripting language, but arguing that it continues to be a stable scripting language, and still relevant for Windows programmers. Its use in Windows Scripting Host, VBScript, and COM, and tips on determining the version of VBScript installed on your system are included.
https://www.isvbscriptdead.com/
Regular-Expressions Info: VBScript’s Regular Expression Support
VBScript has built-in support for regular expressions. When VBScript is used to validate user input on a webpage at the client-side, using VBScript’s regular expression support will greatly reduce the amount of code that is necessary. The language’s regular expression support is outlined, instructions are given in how to use the VBScript RegExp Object, getting information about individual matches, and how to test VBScript’s RegExp support in a web browser, with examples.
https://www.regular-expressions.info/vbscript.html
Software Testing Help: VBScript Tutorials
VBScript is a lightweight, case-insensitive, scripting language developed by Microsoft Corporation. The site offers a set of fifteen tutorials on the use of the language, including an introduction, variables, operators, conditional statements, loops, procedures and functions, arrays, date functions, strings and cookies, events, Excel objects, files, error handling, and VBScript interview questions. Tutorials include textual and video instruction, examples, and recommended readings.
https://www.softwaretestinghelp.com/vbscript-tutorial-1/
SS64: An A-Z Index of Windows VBScript Commands
SS64 is a reference guide of syntax and examples for some of the most common computer commands, both database, and operating systems. Its VBScript section includes an alphabetized list of commands, with descriptions and code examples for each. Also included are an arrangement of VBScript syntax that features VBScript arguments, loop statements and other syntax, VBScripts and functions, references and how-to guides, and links to VBScript websites and books.
https://ss64.com/vb/
Designed to teach beginner web programmers how to use HTML and CSS, Tizag also includes a tutorial on the use of VBScript, which stands for Visual Basic Script, a scripting language designed by Microsoft for Microsoft products, including its Internet Explorer web browser. Its VBScript tutorial is sorted into seventeen chapters, including an introduction, installation instructions, and writing a first script, as well as its syntax, variables, operators, strings, arrays, and so on.
http://tizag.com/vbscriptTutorial/
Tutorials Point: VBScript Tutorial
Microsoft VBScript is a general-purpose, lightweight, and active scripting language developed by Microsoft, and the primary scripting language for Quick Test Professional, a test automation tool. This tutorial was designed to teach beginners to understand the basic and advanced functions of VBScript, preparing them to achieve an intermediate level of expertise. Besides the beginner and advanced tutorials, it highlights other useful resources for VBScript and selected readings
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/vbscript/
Available as an evaluation version or purchased online, VbsEdit is a VBScript editor that can also be used as a WSF editor or as an HTA editor. The editor includes a VBScript debugger that allows the user to debug scripts within the integrated debugger, and scripts may be compiled to an executable in Console or Windows mode. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript can be converted into an executable, as well. Sample scripts, support information, and a help section are available.
https://www.vbsedit.com/
