HTTP Full Form: The full form of HTTP is Hypertext Transfer Protocol. HTTP is a fundamental building block of the World Wide Web, created in 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee. It is a communication protocol that allows you to browse web pages, images, videos, and other media stored on servers worldwide without downloading them to your device.
Definition and Overview of HTTP | HTTP Full Form
HTTP, standing for HyperText Transfer Protocol, provides a standardized method of data communication and is crucial in computer networking. It primarily facilitates communication with servers operating on web protocols, enabling the retrieval of the same information to the same browser window. The term “hyper” means “above,” indicating that any data can be accessed over the Internet at any time.
In HTTP, the server acts as a proxy. As a client, you send a request specifying the data you wish to obtain, and the HTTP server responds accordingly. Internet and network hosts provide hosting services, allowing you to download and transfer content. HTTP serves three primary purposes.
Client-Server Computing Model | HTTP Full Form
In a computer network, the architecture typically includes two essential components: a server (server machines and wireless access points) and a client (a computer). The client requests information from the server via its control channel, and the server responds by sending the information back to the client. For example, to access a file on the Internet through a browser, you first send a request to the server to access a specific file. The server then responds with the requested information, which may include additional data.
Decoding HTTP involves various programming languages, with Java and the .NET framework being the most commonly used.
Request and Response
In the HTTP protocol, the request is the server-side URL protocol sent to the client for handling, and the response is the client-side URL protocol sent back to the server for processing. The server responds to the client’s request and computes the appropriate response. HTTP/1.1 introduces server push for serving files and attachments, defines POST as a method for sending data to the server, and PUT as a method for updating records on a server. The Request URL is a unique identifier for the requested file or site, while the Response URL specifies the details of the received data. For example, “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, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, Amazon, and many others.
Security Implications of HTTP
HTTP is a secure protocol that prevents any device from acting as a buffer between the user and the server. When a user connects to a URL, a private session is created for that connection. The server listens to all traffic using the default TCP protocol, ensuring that only the intended communication occurs.
Content Delivery Protocol (CD)
Content Delivery Protocol, also known as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP), is used to send multimedia content to clients.
Conclusion
The HTTP protocol is a fundamental technology for accessing any web page or file on the Internet. Understanding HTTP is straightforward with these basic steps, and even websites you rarely use can benefit from this knowledge.