Network Communication Toolkit for Windows Developers

HTTP Get, HTTP Post software component for VBScript for Windows

ActiveSocket is a Network Communication component for Windows Developers. It runs on any 32 bit and 64 bit Windows Platform, incl. Windows 7, Windows 2008, Windows 2003, Windows 2000, Windows Vista and Windows XP.
It features many IP protocols, incl.: SSH (Secure Shell), RSH (Remote Shell), HTTP(s), FTP, ICMP Ping, NTP, SNMP v1/v2c (Get,GetNext,Set), SNMP MIB translation, SNMP Trap Sender, SNMP Trap Receiver, Telnet, DNS, TCP, UDP, IP-to-Country, Wake-On-LAN and more. Samples are included many popular development platforms, incl. Visual C# .NET, Visual Basic .NET, ASP .NET, Visual Basic, Visual C/C++, ASP, Java, Javascript, PHP, Borland Delphi, Borland C++ Builder, ColdFusion.

HTTP Get and HTTP Post can be well integrated into VBScript environments. This document describes how the ActiveSocket Http object can be integrated into VBScript projects.

The most important functions of the Http object are:

  • Connect - connect to the (remote) HTTP web server on port 80 or any alternate port; optionally, use proxy credentials to use a proxy server; optionally, specify a web account and password for password protected web sites
  • Disconnect - to diconnect after a connect call;
  • ReadData - read all data from a web page;
  • WriteData - write data to a web page.

Step 1: Download and install the ActiveSocket Toolkit

Download ActiveSocket from the ActiveXperts Download Site and start the installation. The installation guides you through the installation process.

Step 2: Create a new script

Create a new script using your favorite editor. You can simply use notepad. However, a VBScript editor is recommended, so you can browse through objects, objects properties and object functions.

You're now able to write a more advanced script to communicate using the ActiveSocket Toolkit.

Step 3: Create the ActiveSocket object in VBScript

Create a new VBScript file called DEMO.VBS. It is recommended to insert the following line on top of your code:

   Option Explicit

This statement requires that all variable names be defined (with the Dim statement), to avoid simple typos that can cause incredible headaches and long debugging sessions for something that should have never happened.

Now, declare the ActiveSocket object(s):

   Dim objHttp

Create the ActiveSocket object(s) like this:

   Set objHttp       = CreateObject( "ActiveXperts.Http" )

Now, add the following lines to the file to have your fist ActiveSocket VBScript program:

   WScript.Echo "Version: " & objHttp.Version
   WScript.Echo "Expiration Date: " & objHttp.Expiration Date

Step 4: Read data from a web site

The following VBScript code shows how to get an HTML page from a webserver:

Option Explicit

Dim objHttp
Dim strUrl
Dim strData

' Create a HTTP instance
Set objHttp = CreateObject("ActiveXperts.Http")

' Write some information to console
WScript.Echo "ActiveSocket " & objHttp.Version & " demo."
WScript.Echo "Expiration date: " & objHttp.ExpirationDate & vbCrLf

Do
   strUrl = inputbox( "Enter a URL", "Input", "www.activexperts.com/products" )
Loop until strUrl <> ""

objHttp.LogFile = "C:\HttpLog.txt"

objHttp.Connect( strUrl )
If( objHttp.LastError <> 0 ) Then
   WScript.Echo "Error " & objHttp.LastError & ": " & objHttp.GetErrorDescription( objHttp.LastError )
Else
   strData = objHttp.ReadData
   If( objHttp.LastError <> 0 ) Then
     WScript.Echo "Error " & objHttp.LastError & ": " & objHttp.GetErrorDescription( objHttp.LastError )
   Else
     WScript.Echo strData
   End If
   objHttp.Disconnect
   WScript.Echo "Disconnect."
End If

WScript.Echo "Ready."

There are many working samples included with the product. You can also find them on the ActiveXperts FTP site: ftp.activexperts-labs.com/samples/asocket.