If I made an app with VB6 or a webapp in Interdev, I could call an ActiveX DLL file (built in VB6, or VC++) which would act as a layer between the application and the DB. So, I would avoid talking to the DB directly from my ASP code.
Now, if I create a web app in VS2008, I can get direct access to the DB with my own code, or use the DB-friendly server controls.
QUESTION: Can I still create a DLL object in VS2008, so that I can pre-compile it and call it from ASP.NET?
I had asked this question in the workplace, and was told that "ASP.NET allows you to pre-compile the whole application in a DLL" but that didn't answer my question.
What if I want to separate the layers and create a new DLL that serves the same purpose as the ActiveX DLL I used to create in VB6?