Task 040: .ASHX File Format

Understanding the .ASHX File Format

An ASHX file is an ASP.NET Web Handler file used within the Microsoft ASP.NET framework to handle HTTP requests and serve dynamic content. It is not a traditional file format with a fixed structure like a binary or structured data file (e.g., .jpg or .xml). Instead, it is a server-side script file that implements the IHttpHandler interface to process requests and generate responses, such as images, XML, or plain text. The file is typically written in plain text and contains code (usually in C# or VB.NET) that defines how to handle HTTP requests.

1. Properties of the .ASHX File Format Intrinsic to Its File System

Based on the provided information and general knowledge about the .ASHX file format, here is a list of its intrinsic properties relevant to its role in the file system and ASP.NET environment:

• File Extension: .ashx
• Full Name: ASP.NET Web Handler File
• MIME Type: Varies based on content (e.g., text/plain, image/png, application/json, text/html, application/xhtml+xml)
• File Type: Server-side script file
• Developed By: Microsoft
• File Classification: Web server script
• Editable: Yes, with text or code editors (e.g., Notepad, Visual Studio, Notepad++)
• Human Readable: Yes, as it is stored in plain text format
• Server-Side or Client-Side: Server-side
• Execution Environment: ASP.NET on a web server (typically Microsoft IIS)
• Primary Association: ASP.NET and web development
• Scripting Language: Typically C# or VB.NET, but other .NET languages are supported
• Implements Interface: IHttpHandler (defines ProcessRequest method and IsReusable property)
• HTTP Methods Supported: Can handle HTTP methods like GET, POST, etc.
• Dynamic Content: Can serve dynamic content such as images, files, or XML
• Session State Access: Can access and modify ASP.NET session state
• URL Mapping: Configurable in the ASP.NET application's Web.config file
• Security: Supports ASP.NET authentication and authorization mechanisms
• Path Information: Accessible via HttpContext in the handler’s code
• Cache Policy: Can be managed programmatically within the handler
• Compilation: Runtime compilation by ASP.NET

These properties reflect the role of .ASHX files as server-side scripts rather than traditional data files with a fixed binary or structured format. The "content" of an .ASHX file is primarily its source code, which defines how it processes requests and generates responses.

Notes on Implementation

Since .ASHX files are server-side scripts executed in an ASP.NET environment, they are not typically "decoded" like binary files. Instead, they are read as plain text (containing code) and executed by the ASP.NET runtime to handle HTTP requests. The classes below will focus on reading the .ASHX file as a text file, parsing its content to extract relevant properties (e.g., language, class name), and writing to a new .ASHX file. Since .ASHX files are executed server-side, direct manipulation of their runtime behavior (e.g., serving content) requires an ASP.NET environment, which is not directly supported in Python, Java, JavaScript, or C without additional frameworks. Thus, the classes will handle file I/O and basic parsing of the .ASHX file’s text content.

The following classes assume the .ASHX file contains typical C# code with a WebHandler directive (e.g., <%@ WebHandler Language="C#" Class="Handler" %>) and implement basic file reading, writing, and property extraction. For properties like MIME type or dynamic content, which depend on runtime behavior, the classes will note these as comments since they cannot be fully determined from the file content alone.

2. Python Class for Handling .ASHX Files

import re
import os

class ASHXHandler:
    def __init__(self, file_path):
        self.file_path = file_path
        self.properties = {
            "file_extension": ".ashx",
            "full_name": "ASP.NET Web Handler File",
            "mime_type": "varies (e.g., text/plain, image/png, application/json)",
            "file_type": "Server-side script file",
            "developed_by": "Microsoft",
            "file_classification": "Web server script",
            "editable": "Yes",
            "human_readable": "Yes",
            "server_side": "Server-side",
            "execution_environment": "ASP.NET on a web server",
            "primary_association": "ASP.NET and web development",
            "scripting_language": None,  # Extracted from file
            "implements_interface": "IHttpHandler",
            "http_methods": "GET, POST, etc.",
            "dynamic_content": "Can serve images, files, XML, etc.",
            "session_state_access": "Yes",
            "url_mapping": "Configurable in Web.config",
            "security": "Supports ASP.NET authentication/authorization",
            "path_information": "Accessible via HttpContext",
            "cache_policy": "Managed programmatically",
            "compilation": "Runtime compilation by ASP.NET",
            "class_name": None  # Extracted from file
        }

    def read_ashx(self):
        """Read and parse the .ASHX file."""
        try:
            with open(self.file_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
                content = file.read()
                
                # Extract scripting language and class name from WebHandler directive
                lang_match = re.search(r'<%@\s*WebHandler\s*Language="(\w+)"', content, re.IGNORECASE)
                class_match = re.search(r'Class="(\w+)"', content, re.IGNORECASE)
                
                if lang_match:
                    self.properties["scripting_language"] = lang_match.group(1)
                if class_match:
                    self.properties["class_name"] = class_match.group(1)
                
                return content
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Error reading .ASHX file: {e}")
            return None

    def write_ashx(self, output_path, content):
        """Write content to a new .ASHX file."""
        try:
            with open(output_path, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as file:
                file.write(content)
            print(f"Successfully wrote to {output_path}")
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Error writing .ASHX file: {e}")

    def print_properties(self):
        """Print all properties to console."""
        print("ASHX File Properties:")
        for key, value in self.properties.items():
            print(f"{key}: {value}")

# Example usage
if __name__ == "__main__":
    handler = ASHXHandler("Handler.ashx")
    content = handler.read_ashx()
    if content:
        handler.print_properties()
        # Write to a new file
        handler.write_ashx("OutputHandler.ashx", content)

Explanation:

• Reading: Opens the .ASHX file as plain text and uses regex to extract the Language and Class from the WebHandler directive.
• Writing: Writes the content to a new .ASHX file.
• Properties: Stores all intrinsic properties, with scripting_language and class_name extracted from the file content. Other properties (e.g., MIME type, dynamic content) are noted as runtime-dependent.
• Limitations: Python cannot execute .ASHX files directly, as they require an ASP.NET environment. The class focuses on file I/O and parsing.

3. Java Class for Handling .ASHX Files

import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
import java.util.regex.*;

public class ASHXHandler {
    private String filePath;
    private Map<String, String> properties;

    public ASHXHandler(String filePath) {
        this.filePath = filePath;
        this.properties = new HashMap<>();
        initializeProperties();
    }

    private void initializeProperties() {
        properties.put("file_extension", ".ashx");
        properties.put("full_name", "ASP.NET Web Handler File");
        properties.put("mime_type", "varies (e.g., text/plain, image/png, application/json)");
        properties.put("file_type", "Server-side script file");
        properties.put("developed_by", "Microsoft");
        properties.put("file_classification", "Web server script");
        properties.put("editable", "Yes");
        properties.put("human_readable", "Yes");
        properties.put("server_side", "Server-side");
        properties.put("execution_environment", "ASP.NET on a web server");
        properties.put("primary_association", "ASP.NET and web development");
        properties.put("scripting_language", null); // Extracted from file
        properties.put("implements_interface", "IHttpHandler");
        properties.put("http_methods", "GET, POST, etc.");
        properties.put("dynamic_content", "Can serve images, files, XML, etc.");
        properties.put("session_state_access", "Yes");
        properties.put("url_mapping", "Configurable in Web.config");
        properties.put("security", "Supports ASP.NET authentication/authorization");
        properties.put("path_information", "Accessible via HttpContext");
        properties.put("cache_policy", "Managed programmatically");
        properties.put("compilation", "Runtime compilation by ASP.NET");
        properties.put("class_name", null); // Extracted from file
    }

    public String readASHX() {
        try (BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(filePath))) {
            StringBuilder content = new StringBuilder();
            String line;
            while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {
                content.append(line).append("\n");
            }

            // Extract scripting language and class name
            Pattern langPattern = Pattern.compile("<%@\\s*WebHandler\\s*Language=\"(\\w+)\"", Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE);
            Pattern classPattern = Pattern.compile("Class=\"(\\w+)\"", Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE);
            Matcher langMatcher = langPattern.matcher(content);
            Matcher classMatcher = classPattern.matcher(content);

            if (langMatcher.find()) {
                properties.put("scripting_language", langMatcher.group(1));
            }
            if (classMatcher.find()) {
                properties.put("class_name", classMatcher.group(1));
            }

            return content.toString();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println("Error reading .ASHX file: " + e.getMessage());
            return null;
        }
    }

    public void writeASHX(String outputPath, String content) {
        try (BufferedWriter writer = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter(outputPath))) {
            writer.write(content);
            System.out.println("Successfully wrote to " + outputPath);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println("Error writing .ASHX file: " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }

    public void printProperties() {
        System.out.println("ASHX File Properties:");
        for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : properties.entrySet()) {
            System.out.println(entry.getKey() + ": " + entry.getValue());
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        ASHXHandler handler = new ASHXHandler("Handler.ashx");
        String content = handler.readASHX();
        if (content != null) {
            handler.printProperties();
            handler.writeASHX("OutputHandler.ashx", content);
        }
    }
}

Explanation:

• Reading: Reads the .ASHX file line by line and uses regex to extract Language and Class.
• Writing: Writes the content to a new .ASHX file.
• Properties: Stores all properties in a HashMap, with dynamic extraction for scripting_language and class_name.
• Limitations: Java cannot execute .ASHX files directly, so the class focuses on file I/O and parsing.

4. JavaScript Class for Handling .ASHX Files

const fs = require('fs').promises;

class ASHXHandler {
    constructor(filePath) {
        this.filePath = filePath;
        this.properties = {
            file_extension: '.ashx',
            full_name: 'ASP.NET Web Handler File',
            mime_type: 'varies (e.g., text/plain, image/png, application/json)',
            file_type: 'Server-side script file',
            developed_by: 'Microsoft',
            file_classification: 'Web server script',
            editable: 'Yes',
            human_readable: 'Yes',
            server_side: 'Server-side',
            execution_environment: 'ASP.NET on a web server',
            primary_association: 'ASP.NET and web development',
            scripting_language: null, // Extracted from file
            implements_interface: 'IHttpHandler',
            http_methods: 'GET, POST, etc.',
            dynamic_content: 'Can serve images, files, XML, etc.',
            session_state_access: 'Yes',
            url_mapping: 'Configurable in Web.config',
            security: 'Supports ASP.NET authentication/authorization',
            path_information: 'Accessible via HttpContext',
            cache_policy: 'Managed programmatically',
            compilation: 'Runtime compilation by ASP.NET',
            class_name: null // Extracted from file
        };
    }

    async readASHX() {
        try {
            const content = await fs.readFile(this.filePath, 'utf-8');

            // Extract scripting language and class name
            const langMatch = content.match(/<%@\s*WebHandler\s*Language="(\w+)"/i);
            const classMatch = content.match(/Class="(\w+)"/i);

            if (langMatch) this.properties.scripting_language = langMatch[1];
            if (classMatch) this.properties.class_name = classMatch[1];

            return content;
        } catch (error) {
            console.error(`Error reading .ASHX file: ${error.message}`);
            return null;
        }
    }

    async writeASHX(outputPath, content) {
        try {
            await fs.writeFile(outputPath, content, 'utf-8');
            console.log(`Successfully wrote to ${outputPath}`);
        } catch (error) {
            console.error(`Error writing .ASHX file: ${error.message}`);
        }
    }

    printProperties() {
        console.log('ASHX File Properties:');
        for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(this.properties)) {
            console.log(`${key}: ${value}`);
        }
    }
}

// Example usage (Node.js environment)
(async () => {
    const handler = new ASHXHandler('Handler.ashx');
    const content = await handler.readASHX();
    if (content) {
        handler.printProperties();
        await handler.writeASHX('OutputHandler.ashx', content);
    }
})();

Explanation:

• Reading: Uses Node.js fs.promises to read the .ASHX file asynchronously and extracts Language and Class using regex.
• Writing: Writes the content to a new .ASHX file.
• Properties: Stores properties in an object, with dynamic extraction for scripting_language and class_name.
• Limitations: JavaScript cannot execute .ASHX files directly, so the class focuses on file I/O and parsing. Requires Node.js for file system access.

5. C Class for Handling .ASHX Files

Since C does not have built-in classes like Python, Java, or JavaScript, we’ll use a struct and functions to achieve similar functionality. The C implementation assumes a POSIX environment (e.g., Linux) for file I/O, as C lacks native support for .NET runtime execution.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <regex.h>

#define MAX_LINE_LENGTH 1024
#define MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH 1048576 // 1MB max content size

typedef struct {
    char* file_extension;
    char* full_name;
    char* mime_type;
    char* file_type;
    char* developed_by;
    char* file_classification;
    char* editable;
    char* human_readable;
    char* server_side;
    char* execution_environment;
    char* primary_association;
    char* scripting_language; // Extracted from file
    char* implements_interface;
    char* http_methods;
    char* dynamic_content;
    char* session_state_access;
    char* url_mapping;
    char* security;
    char* path_information;
    char* cache_policy;
    char* compilation;
    char* class_name; // Extracted from file
} ASHXProperties;

void init_properties(ASHXProperties* props) {
    props->file_extension = strdup(".ashx");
    props->full_name = strdup("ASP.NET Web Handler File");
    props->mime_type = strdup("varies (e.g., text/plain, image/png, application/json)");
    props->file_type = strdup("Server-side script file");
    props->developed_by = strdup("Microsoft");
    props->file_classification = strdup("Web server script");
    props->editable = strdup("Yes");
    props->human_readable = strdup("Yes");
    props->server_side = strdup("Server-side");
    props->execution_environment = strdup("ASP.NET on a web server");
    props->primary_association = strdup("ASP.NET and web development");
    props->scripting_language = NULL;
    props->implements_interface = strdup("IHttpHandler");
    props->http_methods = strdup("GET, POST, etc.");
    props->dynamic_content = strdup("Can serve images, files, XML, etc.");
    props->session_state_access = strdup("Yes");
    props->url_mapping = strdup("Configurable in Web.config");
    props->security = strdup("Supports ASP.NET authentication/authorization");
    props->path_information = strdup("Accessible via HttpContext");
    props->cache_policy = strdup("Managed programmatically");
    props->compilation = strdup("Runtime compilation by ASP.NET");
    props->class_name = NULL;
}

void free_properties(ASHXProperties* props) {
    free(props->file_extension);
    free(props->full_name);
    free(props->mime_type);
    free(props->file_type);
    free(props->developed_by);
    free(props->file_classification);
    free(props->editable);
    free(props->human_readable);
    free(props->server_side);
    free(props->execution_environment);
    free(props->primary_association);
    free(props->scripting_language);
    free(props->implements_interface);
    free(props->http_methods);
    free(props->dynamic_content);
    free(props->session_state_access);
    free(props->url_mapping);
    free(props->security);
    free(props->path_information);
    free(props->cache_policy);
    free(props->compilation);
    free(props->class_name);
}

char* read_ashx(const char* file_path, ASHXProperties* props) {
    FILE* file = fopen(file_path, "r");
    if (!file) {
        printf("Error reading .ASHX file: Unable to open file\n");
        return NULL;
    }

    char* content = (char*)malloc(MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH);
    content[0] = '\0';
    char line[MAX_LINE_LENGTH];
    size_t total_length = 0;

    while (fgets(line, MAX_LINE_LENGTH, file) && total_length < MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH - 1) {
        strncat(content, line, MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH - total_length - 1);
        total_length += strlen(line);
    }
    fclose(file);

    // Extract scripting language and class name
    regex_t regex_lang, regex_class;
    regmatch_t matches[2];
    if (regcomp(&regex_lang, "<%@\\s*WebHandler\\s*Language=\"(\\w+)\"", REG_EXTENDED | REG_ICASE) == 0) {
        if (regexec(&regex_lang, content, 2, matches, 0) == 0) {
            size_t len = matches[1].rm_eo - matches[1].rm_so;
            props->scripting_language = (char*)malloc(len + 1);
            strncpy(props->scripting_language, content + matches[1].rm_so, len);
            props->scripting_language[len] = '\0';
        }
        regfree(&regex_lang);
    }
    if (regcomp(&regex_class, "Class=\"(\\w+)\"", REG_EXTENDED | REG_ICASE) == 0) {
        if (regexec(&regex_class, content, 2, matches, 0) == 0) {
            size_t len = matches[1].rm_eo - matches[1].rm_so;
            props->class_name = (char*)malloc(len + 1);
            strncpy(props->class_name, content + matches[1].rm_so, len);
            props->class_name[len] = '\0';
        }
        regfree(&regex_class);
    }

    return content;
}

void write_ashx(const char* output_path, const char* content) {
    FILE* file = fopen(output_path, "w");
    if (!file) {
        printf("Error writing .ASHX file: Unable to open file\n");
        return;
    }
    fputs(content, file);
    fclose(file);
    printf("Successfully wrote to %s\n", output_path);
}

void print_properties(const ASHXProperties* props) {
    printf("ASHX File Properties:\n");
    printf("file_extension: %s\n", props->file_extension);
    printf("full_name: %s\n", props->full_name);
    printf("mime_type: %s\n", props->mime_type);
    printf("file_type: %s\n", props->file_type);
    printf("developed_by: %s\n", props->developed_by);
    printf("file_classification: %s\n", props->file_classification);
    printf("editable: %s\n", props->editable);
    printf("human_readable: %s\n", props->human_readable);
    printf("server_side: %s\n", props->server_side);
    printf("execution_environment: %s\n", props->execution_environment);
    printf("primary_association: %s\n", props->primary_association);
    printf("scripting_language: %s\n", props->scripting_language ? props->scripting_language : "Not found");
    printf("implements_interface: %s\n", props->implements_interface);
    printf("http_methods: %s\n", props->http_methods);
    printf("dynamic_content: %s\n", props->dynamic_content);
    printf("session_state_access: %s\n", props->session_state_access);
    printf("url_mapping: %s\n", props->url_mapping);
    printf("security: %s\n", props->security);
    printf("path_information: %s\n", props->path_information);
    printf("cache_policy: %s\n", props->cache_policy);
    printf("compilation: %s\n", props->compilation);
    printf("class_name: %s\n", props->class_name ? props->class_name : "Not found");
}

int main() {
    ASHXProperties props;
    init_properties(&props);

    char* content = read_ashx("Handler.ashx", &props);
    if (content) {
        print_properties(&props);
        write_ashx("OutputHandler.ashx", content);
        free(content);
    }

    free_properties(&props);
    return 0;
}

Explanation:

• Reading: Reads the .ASHX file using standard C file I/O and extracts Language and Class using POSIX regex.
• Writing: Writes the content to a new .ASHX file.
• Properties: Stores properties in a struct, with dynamic allocation for strings.
• Limitations: C cannot execute .ASHX files, so the implementation focuses on file I/O and parsing. Requires a POSIX environment for regex support.

Additional Notes

Execution Context: .ASHX files are designed to run in an ASP.NET environment (typically IIS). The classes above handle the file as plain text because Python, Java, JavaScript, and C cannot directly execute .NET code. To fully "decode" or execute .ASHX files, you would need an ASP.NET runtime environment, which is typically done in C# within Visual Studio or IIS.

Parsing Limitations: The classes extract scripting_language and class_name from the WebHandler directive, as these are the only properties reliably present in the file’s text content. Other properties (e.g., MIME type, dynamic content) depend on runtime behavior and are noted as such.

Error Handling: Each class includes basic error handling for file I/O operations.

Testing: To test these classes, create a sample .ASHX file (e.g., Handler.ashx) with content like:

<%@ WebHandler Language="C#" Class="Handler" %>
using System;
using System.Web;
public class Handler : IHttpHandler {
    public void ProcessRequest(HttpContext context) {
        context.Response.ContentType = "text/plain";
        context.Response.Write("Hello World");
    }
    public bool IsReusable { get { return false; } }
}

Citations: The properties and understanding of .ASHX files are based on information from web sources, particularly and, which provide detailed descriptions of the .ASHX file format.

If you need further clarification or additional functionality (e.g., simulating ASP.NET execution), please let me know!

The .ASHX file format is an ASP.NET Web Handler file developed by Microsoft. It is a plain text file containing server-side code (typically in C# or VB.NET) that processes HTTP requests by implementing the IHttpHandler interface. There are no binary or structured format specifications like magic numbers or headers; it's text-based and executed on the server side in ASP.NET applications.   In some cases, files downloaded via an .ASHX handler may retain the .ashx extension but contain data in other formats (e.g., PDF, JPEG), due to server configuration. However, the core .ASHX format itself is text code, not a container for binary data.

1. List of all the properties of this file format intrinsic to its file system

Since .ASHX is a plain text format without a binary structure, it lacks intrinsic binary properties (e.g., no fixed headers, offsets, or endianness). The following are the key properties based on its typical text-based structure and file system attributes:

• File extension: .ashx (case-insensitive, but typically lowercase).
• MIME type: text/plain (or sometimes application/x-ashx for web handling).
• Encoding: Usually UTF-8 or ASCII, as it's source code.
• Directive line: Starts with a WebHandler directive (e.g., <%@ WebHandler Language="C#" Class="MyHandler" %>), which defines the language and class.
• Language: The programming language used (e.g., "C#", "VB").
• Class name: The name of the handler class implementing IHttpHandler.
• IsReusable: A boolean property indicating if the handler can be reused (true or false).
• ProcessRequest body: The code within the ProcessRequest method, which handles the HTTP context.

These properties are derived from parsing the text content, as there is no formal binary spec.

2. Python class

import re

class AshxHandler:
    def __init__(self, filepath):
        self.filepath = filepath
        self.language = None
        self.class_name = None
        self.is_reusable = None
        self.process_request_body = None
        self.mime_type = 'text/plain'
        self.encoding = 'utf-8'
        self.extension = '.ashx'

    def open_and_decode(self):
        with open(self.filepath, 'r', encoding=self.encoding) as f:
            content = f.read()
        
        # Parse directive
        directive_match = re.search(r'<%@\s*WebHandler\s*Language="(\w+)"\s*Class="(\w+)"\s*%>', content)
        if directive_match:
            self.language = directive_match.group(1)
            self.class_name = directive_match.group(2)
        
        # Parse IsReusable
        reusable_match = re.search(r'public\s+bool\s+IsReusable\s*{\s*get\s*{\s*return\s+(true|false);\s*}\s*}', content, re.IGNORECASE)
        if reusable_match:
            self.is_reusable = reusable_match.group(1).lower() == 'true'
        
        # Parse ProcessRequest body (simplified, assumes single method)
        pr_match = re.search(r'public\s+void\s+ProcessRequest\s*\(HttpContext\s+context\)\s*{\s*(.*?)\s*}', content, re.DOTALL)
        if pr_match:
            self.process_request_body = pr_match.group(1).strip()
        
        return {
            'extension': self.extension,
            'mime_type': self.mime_type,
            'encoding': self.encoding,
            'language': self.language,
            'class_name': self.class_name,
            'is_reusable': self.is_reusable,
            'process_request_body': self.process_request_body
        }

    def write(self, properties):
        content = f'<%@ WebHandler Language="{properties.get("language", "C#")}" Class="{properties.get("class_name", "Handler")}" %>\n\n'
        content += 'using System.Web;\n\n'
        content += f'public class {properties.get("class_name", "Handler")} : IHttpHandler {{\n'
        content += '    public void ProcessRequest(HttpContext context) {{\n'
        content += f'        {properties.get("process_request_body", "// Code here")}\n'
        content += '    }}\n\n'
        content += f'    public bool IsReusable {{ get {{ return {str(properties.get("is_reusable", False)).ToLower()}; }} }}\n'
        content += '}}\n'
        
        new_filepath = self.filepath if self.filepath.endswith(self.extension) else self.filepath + self.extension
        with open(new_filepath, 'w', encoding=self.encoding) as f:
            f.write(content)

Usage example: handler = AshxHandler('example.ashx'); props = handler.open_and_decode(); handler.write(props)

3. Java class

import java.io.*;
import java.util.regex.*;

public class AshxHandler {
    private String filepath;
    private String language;
    private String className;
    private Boolean isReusable;
    private String processRequestBody;
    private String mimeType = "text/plain";
    private String encoding = "UTF-8";
    private String extension = ".ashx";

    public AshxHandler(String filepath) {
        this.filepath = filepath;
    }

    public java.util.Map<String, Object> openAndDecode() throws IOException {
        StringBuilder content = new StringBuilder();
        try (BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(new FileInputStream(filepath), encoding))) {
            String line;
            while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {
                content.append(line).append("\n");
            }
        }

        String contentStr = content.toString();

        // Parse directive
        Pattern directivePattern = Pattern.compile("<%@\\s*WebHandler\\s*Language=\"(\\w+)\"\\s*Class=\"(\\w+)\"\\s*%>");
        Matcher directiveMatcher = directivePattern.matcher(contentStr);
        if (directiveMatcher.find()) {
            language = directiveMatcher.group(1);
            className = directiveMatcher.group(2);
        }

        // Parse IsReusable
        Pattern reusablePattern = Pattern.compile("public\\s+bool\\s+IsReusable\\s*\\{\\s*get\\s*\\{\\s*return\\s+(true|false);\\s*\\}\\s*\\}", Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE | Pattern.DOTALL);
        Matcher reusableMatcher = reusablePattern.matcher(contentStr);
        if (reusableMatcher.find()) {
            isReusable = Boolean.parseBoolean(reusableMatcher.group(1));
        }

        // Parse ProcessRequest body
        Pattern prPattern = Pattern.compile("public\\s+void\\s+ProcessRequest\\s*\\(HttpContext\\s+context\\)\\s*\\{\\s*(.*?)\\s*\\}", Pattern.DOTALL);
        Matcher prMatcher = prPattern.matcher(contentStr);
        if (prMatcher.find()) {
            processRequestBody = prMatcher.group(1).trim();
        }

        java.util.Map<String, Object> props = new java.util.HashMap<>();
        props.put("extension", extension);
        props.put("mime_type", mimeType);
        props.put("encoding", encoding);
        props.put("language", language);
        props.put("class_name", className);
        props.put("is_reusable", isReusable);
        props.put("process_request_body", processRequestBody);
        return props;
    }

    public void write(java.util.Map<String, Object> properties) throws IOException {
        StringBuilder content = new StringBuilder();
        content.append("<%@ WebHandler Language=\"").append(properties.getOrDefault("language", "C#")).append("\" Class=\"").append(properties.getOrDefault("class_name", "Handler")).append("\" %>\n\n");
        content.append("using System.Web;\n\n");
        content.append("public class ").append(properties.getOrDefault("class_name", "Handler")).append(" : IHttpHandler {\n");
        content.append("    public void ProcessRequest(HttpContext context) {\n");
        content.append("        ").append(properties.getOrDefault("process_request_body", "// Code here")).append("\n");
        content.append("    }\n\n");
        content.append("    public bool IsReusable { get { return ").append(properties.getOrDefault("is_reusable", false)).append("; } }\n");
        content.append("}\n");

        String newFilepath = filepath.endsWith(extension) ? filepath : filepath + extension;
        try (BufferedWriter writer = new BufferedWriter(new OutputStreamWriter(new FileOutputStream(newFilepath), encoding))) {
            writer.write(content.toString());
        }
    }
}

Usage example: AshxHandler handler = new AshxHandler("example.ashx"); Map props = handler.openAndDecode(); handler.write(props);

4. JavaScript class (Node.js for file I/O)

const fs = require('fs');

class AshxHandler {
    constructor(filepath) {
        this.filepath = filepath;
        this.language = null;
        this.className = null;
        this.isReusable = null;
        this.processRequestBody = null;
        this.mimeType = 'text/plain';
        this.encoding = 'utf8';
        this.extension = '.ashx';
    }

    openAndDecode() {
        const content = fs.readFileSync(this.filepath, this.encoding);

        // Parse directive
        const directiveMatch = content.match(/<%@\s*WebHandler\s*Language="(\w+)"\s*Class="(\w+)"\s*%>/);
        if (directiveMatch) {
            this.language = directiveMatch[1];
            this.className = directiveMatch[2];
        }

        // Parse IsReusable
        const reusableMatch = content.match(/public\s+bool\s+IsReusable\s*{\s*get\s*{\s*return\s+(true|false);\s*}\s*}/i);
        if (reusableMatch) {
            this.isReusable = reusableMatch[1].toLowerCase() === 'true';
        }

        // Parse ProcessRequest body
        const prMatch = content.match(/public\s+void\s+ProcessRequest\s*\(HttpContext\s+context\)\s*{\s*(.*?)\s*}/s);
        if (prMatch) {
            this.processRequestBody = prMatch[1].trim();
        }

        return {
            extension: this.extension,
            mime_type: this.mimeType,
            encoding: this.encoding,
            language: this.language,
            class_name: this.className,
            is_reusable: this.isReusable,
            process_request_body: this.processRequestBody
        };
    }

    write(properties) {
        let content = `<%@ WebHandler Language="${properties.language || 'C#'}" Class="${properties.class_name || 'Handler'}" %>\n\n`;
        content += 'using System.Web;\n\n';
        content += `public class ${properties.class_name || 'Handler'} : IHttpHandler {\n`;
        content += '    public void ProcessRequest(HttpContext context) {\n';
        content += `        ${properties.process_request_body || '// Code here'}\n`;
        content += '    }\n\n';
        content += `    public bool IsReusable { get { return ${properties.is_reusable ?? false}; } }\n`;
        content += '}\n';

        const newFilepath = this.filepath.endsWith(this.extension) ? this.filepath : this.filepath + this.extension;
        fs.writeFileSync(newFilepath, content, this.encoding);
    }
}

Usage example: const handler = new AshxHandler('example.ashx'); const props = handler.openAndDecode(); handler.write(props);

5. C class (using C++ for class and file I/O)

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <string>
#include <regex>
#include <map>

class AshxHandler {
private:
    std::string filepath;
    std::string language;
    std::string class_name;
    bool is_reusable;
    std::string process_request_body;
    std::string mime_type = "text/plain";
    std::string encoding = "UTF-8"; // Note: C++ std::fstream assumes locale, but we'll use std::string
    std::string extension = ".ashx";

public:
    AshxHandler(std::string fp) : filepath(fp), is_reusable(false) {}

    std::map<std::string, std::string> open_and_decode() {
        std::ifstream file(filepath);
        if (!file.is_open()) {
            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to open file");
        }
        std::string content((std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(file)), std::istreambuf_iterator<char>());
        file.close();

        // Parse directive
        std::regex directive_regex(R"(<%@\s*WebHandler\s*Language="(\w+)"\s*Class="(\w+)"\s*%> )");
        std::smatch directive_match;
        if (std::regex_search(content, directive_match, directive_regex)) {
            language = directive_match[1];
            class_name = directive_match[2];
        }

        // Parse IsReusable
        std::regex reusable_regex(R"(public\s+bool\s+IsReusable\s*\{\s*get\s*\{\s*return\s+(true|false);\s*\}\s*\})", std::regex_constants::icase);
        std::smatch reusable_match;
        if (std::regex_search(content, reusable_match, reusable_regex)) {
            is_reusable = (reusable_match[1] == "true");
        }

        // Parse ProcessRequest body
        std::regex pr_regex(R"(public\s+void\s+ProcessRequest\s*\(HttpContext\s+context\)\s*\{\s*(.*?)\s*\})", std::regex_constants::ECMAScript | std::regex_constants::multiline);
        std::smatch pr_match;
        if (std::regex_search(content, pr_match, pr_regex)) {
            process_request_body = pr_match[1];
        }

        std::map<std::string, std::string> props;
        props["extension"] = extension;
        props["mime_type"] = mime_type;
        props["encoding"] = encoding;
        props["language"] = language;
        props["class_name"] = class_name;
        props["is_reusable"] = is_reusable ? "true" : "false";
        props["process_request_body"] = process_request_body;
        return props;
    }

    void write(std::map<std::string, std::string> properties) {
        std::string lang = properties.count("language") ? properties["language"] : "C#";
        std::string cls = properties.count("class_name") ? properties["class_name"] : "Handler";
        std::string pr_body = properties.count("process_request_body") ? properties["process_request_body"] : "// Code here";
        bool reusable = (properties.count("is_reusable") && properties["is_reusable"] == "true");

        std::string content = "<%@ WebHandler Language=\"" + lang + "\" Class=\"" + cls + "\" %>\n\n";
        content += "using System.Web;\n\n";
        content += "public class " + cls + " : IHttpHandler {\n";
        content += "    public void ProcessRequest(HttpContext context) {\n";
        content += "        " + pr_body + "\n";
        content += "    }\n\n";
        content += "    public bool IsReusable { get { return " + std::string(reusable ? "true" : "false") + "; } }\n";
        content += "}\n";

        std::string new_filepath = filepath;
        if (new_filepath.find(extension) == std::string::npos) {
            new_filepath += extension;
        }
        std::ofstream out_file(new_filepath);
        if (!out_file.is_open()) {
            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to write file");
        }
        out_file << content;
        out_file.close();
    }
};

Usage example: AshxHandler handler("example.ashx"); auto props = handler.open_and_decode(); handler.write(props);