Summary of Chapter 1: Introduction to Web Pages

Chapter 1 provides an overview of the Internet, the World Wide Web (WWW), and
related technologies.

The Internet

 Defined as a network of interconnected computers sharing information

globally through common protocols.
 Originated in the 1960s as a project by the U.S. Department of Defense to
create robust communication networks (ARPANET).
 ARPANET evolved into NSFNET and later the modern Internet, now integral
to global communication and the economy.
 Internet services include the WWW, email, file transfers, online chats, and
search engines.

World Wide Web (WWW)

 A collection of interconnected documents and resources linked via hyperlinks,

created by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 at CERN.
 The WWW is powered by web servers and accessed through browsers using
protocols like HTTP.
 Web servers store information and deliver it to clients, while browsers
interpret HTML to display web pages.

HTTP and HTTPS

 Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) facilitates communication between

clients and servers.
 HTTP/1.1 improved upon earlier versions by supporting persistent
connections and metadata exchange.
 HTTPS secures data transfer using encryption protocols like SSL/TLS.

URI, URL, and URN

 Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) identifies web resources.

o URL (Locator): Specifies the location of a resource.

o URN (Name): Specifies the identity of a resource without location
details.

Domain Names and DNS

 Domain names provide user-friendly identifiers for websites, registered

through ICANN-accredited registrars.
 The Domain Name System (DNS) translates human-readable domain names
into IP addresses for network communication.

Web Hosting
  Websites require hosting on servers to be publicly accessible.
 Hosting involves costs for hardware, software, maintenance, and connectivity.
 Providers offer various options, emphasizing support, backups, bandwidth,
and database access.

What is HTTP

Based on the PDF, HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is an application-level

protocol used to facilitate communication between web clients (such as browsers) and
servers. It serves as the foundation for data communication on the World Wide Web.

Key Points about HTTP:

Purpose:

Defines how messages are formatted and transmitted between clients and
servers.

Allows web clients to request and retrieve information from servers.

Protocol Basics:

Operates on top of TCP/IP connections.

Enables the transfer of web content, including HTML documents,

multimedia, and other resources.

Evolution:

The first version, HTTP/0.9, was a simple protocol for raw data transfer.

HTTP/1.0 introduced methods like GET, POST, and HEAD, headers for
metadata, and status codes.

HTTP/1.1 added improvements like persistent connections and virtual host

support for better reliability.

HTTPS:

An extension of HTTP that uses encryption protocols (SSL/TLS) to secure

communication, ensuring data confidentiality and integrity during transfer.

Request/Response Protocol:

Clients send requests specifying the desired action (e.g., GET or POST)
and the resource URI.
 Servers respond with a status line (including HTTP version and status
code), headers, and optional content.

HTTP Methods:

GET: Retrieves data from the server.

POST: Sends data to the server for processing.

HEAD: Similar to GET but retrieves only headers, not the body content.

HTTP Status Codes:

1xx: Informational responses (e.g., 100 Continue).

2xx: Successful responses (e.g., 200 OK).

3xx: Redirection (e.g., 301 Moved Permanently).

4xx: Client errors (e.g., 404 Not Found).

5xx: Server errors (e.g., 500 Internal Server Error).

What is WWW
World Wide Web (WWW) is a system of interconnected documents and resources,
linked by hyperlinks, that reside on the Internet. It was created by Tim Berners-Lee in
1989 at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research).

Definition:

A massive repository of information accessible via the Internet.

Consists of web pages containing text, images, multimedia, and

hyperlinks, enabling users to navigate seamlessly.

Core Components:

Markup Language: Provides instructions for structuring and formatting

content.

Hypertext: Allows embedding of links to other documents and resources

within a webpage.

Internet: The global network that facilitates communication between

clients (browsers) and servers.
 How it Works:

Web pages are stored on servers and retrieved by clients using protocols
like HTTP.

Web browsers interpret HTML to display these pages on devices of

various screen sizes.

Hyperlinks enable users to navigate between different resources.

Client/Server Architecture:

Clients request information, and servers deliver it using web server

software.

This architecture forms the backbone of the WWW, making information

accessible globally.

Purpose of Web Servers:

Store web pages and serve them to users upon request.

Operate using specific software to handle HTTP requests and responses.

Key Features:

Users can access and navigate a wide array of resources, including text,
multimedia, and interactive content.

Browsers play a crucial role by interpreting web content and presenting it

in a user-friendly manner.

Significance of WWW:

A transformative tool for global information sharing and connectivity.

Has become essential for communication, commerce, education, and

entertainment.

What is URL
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a specific type of URI (Uniform Resource
Identifier) that provides the location of a resource on the web. It is commonly used to
access web pages, files, or other resources by specifying their address.

Key Points about URL:

Definition:
 A URL identifies the location of a resource on a network.

It specifies where the resource resides so that it can be retrieved.

Components of a URL:
A typical URL consists of four main parts:

Protocol: Specifies the method of access (e.g., http:// or https://).

Computer Name (Domain Name): The name of the server hosting the
resource (e.g., www.example.com).

Directory Path: Indicates the location of the resource within the server's
directory structure (e.g., /folder/).

File Name: The name of the resource being accessed (e.g., index.html).

Example:
http://www.example.com/folder/page.html

Protocol: http://

Domain Name: www.example.com

Directory Path: /folder/

File Name: page.html

Purpose:

A URL provides the address necessary to locate and access resources on

the Internet, such as web pages, images, or downloadable files.

Variations:

Web URL: Used for accessing web pages (e.g.,

http://www.example.com).

Mail URL: For email addresses (e.g., mailto:[email protected]).

File URL: Accessing local or remote files (e.g.,

file:///home/user/documents/).

Relationship with URN:

While a URL specifies where a resource is located, a URN (Uniform

Resource Name) identifies a resource by name, independent of its
location.
Significance:

URLs are essential for navigation on the World Wide Web, as they provide
a standardized way to locate resources globally.