What is VBS?
VBS refers to VBScript or Microsoft’s Visual Basic Scripting Edition. This scripting language is said to be a simplified version of a bigger scripting program called Visual Basic. VBS is said to be very simple and easy to use. It is commonly used for applications involving internet browsers, Java applets, virus authoring, and OLE Automation servers.

A typical VBScript can only be executed within a particular host environment like Internet Explorer, Windows Script Host, and IIS or Internet Information Services. VBScript used to be part of Microsoft Windows Script Technologies back in 1996 and its initial target were web developers. Over the years, this scripting language gained more functionality through the release of different versions.

VBScript is widely used in the Microsoft environment by many computer or system administrators. It is also used in a test automation tool called “Quick Test Professional”. But aside from these basic uses, VBScript as a scripting language can be used for human machine and/or industrial operator interfaces. In terms of functionality, VBScript has similar categories with VB or Visual Basic. It also has procedures, controls. variables, constants, array handling, date/time functions, mathematical functions, objects, and string manipulation among various others. For VBScript, “procedure” is the one that separates codes into modules that are smaller. Through VBScript, a particular function is distinguished if it is able to reply through an assignment statement or through a subroutine which is unable to make a return or reply.

Since VBScript is so simple, it is said that is the choice of scripting language for virus authors. Popular viruses that took advantage of VBScript include the “ILOVEYOU” virus and the “Melissa” virus. But aside from virus authors, VBScript is widely used in web browsers and HTML pagees. If a particular script is added to an HTML code, it is the browser (Internet Explorer) that actually interprets and executes the code. And since VBScript is developed by Microsoft, this scripting language will only work with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.