HTTP Full Form: The full form of HTTP is Hypertext Transfer Protocol. HTTP is one of the foundational elements of the World Wide Web. It was created in 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee and enables the browsing of web pages, images, videos, and other media stored on servers worldwide without the need to download them to your device.
Definition and Overview of HTTP
HTTP, which stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, standardizes data communication and plays a crucial role in computer networking. It is primarily used to interact with servers operating on the web protocol. HTTP allows users to download the same information to the same browser window. The prefix “hyper” means “above,” indicating that any data can be accessed over the Internet at any time.
An HTTP server acts as a proxy. As a client, you send a request specifying the data you want to obtain, and the HTTP server responds with the requested information. The Internet and network hosts provide hosting services, allowing you to download and transfer content. HTTP has three primary purposes.
Client-Server Computing Model
In a computer network, there are two essential components: a server (including server machines and wireless access points) and a client (a computer). The client requests information from the server using its control channel. The server then responds to the client with the requested information. For example, when you access a file on the Internet through a browser, you first send a request to the server. The server responds with the requested file, which may also include additional information you did not request. Various programming languages can decode HTTP, with Java and the .NET framework being the most commonly used.
Request and Response
The request is the server-side of the URL protocol, sent to the client for handling, while the response is the client-side URL protocol, sent back to the server for processing. The server then computes the appropriate response. HTTP/1.1 defines server push for serving files and attachments and includes methods like POST for sending data to the server and PUT for updating records on the server. The request URL is a unique identifier that specifies the file or site to be requested, while the response URL specifies the details of the received data. For instance, “http://www.example.com/” indicates that the requested URL is for the site with the URL: http://www.example.com.
Applications of HTTP
HTTP is used by numerous applications, including Facebook, Google Maps, Digg, Google+, Reddit, Twitter, Hangouts, YouTube, MSN News, Spotify, Pandora, Apple, Amazon, and Tribefan, among others.
Security Implications of HTTP
HTTP is a secure protocol, preventing devices from acting as intermediaries between the user and the server. When a user connects to a URL, a separate private session is created for that connection, and the server listens to all the traffic using the default TCP protocol. This ensures that only the intended communication occurs.
Content Delivery Protocol
The Content Delivery Protocol (CD) is used to send multimedia content to clients. Also known as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP), it facilitates multimedia content delivery.
Conclusion
HTTP is a fundamental technology for accessing any web page or file on the Internet. By understanding these basic steps, even users who do not typically use certain sites can benefit from this knowledge.
