Legacy VBScript and Classic ASP are traditionally bound to the Windows native execution engine (cscript.exe or w3wp.exe). AxonASP replaces this dependency with a high-performance, cross-platform engine written in Go.
Recent benchmarks demonstrate that AxonASP outperforms the native Microsoft implementation in computational execution.
The GoF Design Patterns Benchmark
Developer Jeffrey Heping ported all 23 Gang of Four (GoF) design patterns to VBScript, implementing strict OOP structures including classes, recursion, collections, and callbacks.
The identical 23 files were executed across five environments on Windows 11. Each test iteration measured the complete lifecycle: process start, code compilation, and execution.
| Engine | Runtime Environment | Average Time | Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| AxonASP (classic syntax) | axonasp-cli |
0.092s | 23/23 |
| AxonASP (modern syntax) | axonasp-cli |
0.102s | 23/23 |
| cscript.exe | native Windows VBScript | 0.107s | 23/23 |
| VB.NET | dotnet | 0.233s | 23/23 |
| ASPPY | Python-implemented engine | 0.247s | 23/23 |
Data points: AxonASP successfully passes 100% of the pattern tests across both syntax modes. ASPPY functions correctly but operates with standard Python interpreter overhead, resulting in slower execution times compared to the compiled Go-based engine, more memory and processor usage.
Compilation and Web Request Velocity
The 0.092s execution time measured above represents a "cold start" (process initialization + compilation + execution) using the CLI.
In a web environment (axonasp-http or axonasp-fastcgi), AxonASP parses and compiles the VBScript/JScript into an internal bytecode structure, caching it in memory. Subsequent HTTP requests bypass the parsing phase entirely, executing the cached bytecode directly. This structural design makes sustained web processing fundamentally faster than traditional IIS ISAPI execution.
Cross-Platform CLI Automation
AxonASP is a standalone execution engine, not strictly a web server.
The axonasp-cli binary allows developers to execute VBScript and JScript directly from the terminal on Linux, macOS, BSD, and Windows. This capability repurposes VBScript into a cross-platform scripting language for system automation, bypassing the need for an HTTP implementation or Windows host.
Golang Embedding and HTA Support
Because the AxonASP engine is written in Go, its architectural components are modular.
- Direct Embedding: Go developers can import the AxonASP runtime into their own compiled Go applications, enabling native VBScript and JScript execution inside third-party binaries.
- Cross-Platform HTA: Leveraging this modularity, developers like Jeffrey Heping have successfully implemented engines that execute Microsoft HTA (HTML Application) files natively across all operating systems, entirely decoupling them from the Windows OS constraints.
AxonASP provides a structural advantage for legacy code. It executes faster than Microsoft's native interpreter, runs without Windows licenses, and integrates directly into modern Go deployment pipelines.
