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VBScript (short for Visual Basic Scripting Edition) is an Active Scripting language developed by Microsoft. The language's syntax reflects its history as a limited variation of Microsoft's Visual Basic programming language. VBScript is installed by default in every desktop release of Microsoft Windows since Windows 98, and may or may not be included with Windows CE depending on the configuration and purpose of the device it is running on. It initially gained support from Windows administrators seeking an automation tool more powerful than the batch language first developed in the late 1970s. A VBScript script must be executed within a host environment, of which there are several provided on a standard install of Microsoft Windows (Windows Script Host, Internet Explorer). Additionally, The VBScript hosting environment is embeddable in other programs, through technologies such as the Microsoft Script control. VBScript is similar in function to JavaScript, as a language to write functions that are embedded in or included from HTML pages and interact with the Document Object Model (DOM) of the page, to perform tasks not possible in HTML alone. Other web browsers such as Firefox, and Opera do not have built-in support for VBScript. This means that where client-side script is required on a web site, developers almost always use JavaScript for cross-browser compatibility. Besides client-side web development, VBScript is used for server-side processing of web pages, most notably with Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP).
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