Http

What does it mean

HTTP, short for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is a protocol used for data transfer on the internet. It is the fundamental building block of websites and web applications, enabling the exchange of information between a client (such as a web browser) and a server (such as a web server).

More info

HTTP was developed by Tim Berners-Lee in the 1990s as part of his work on the World Wide Web. The first official HTTP standard, version 0.9, was released in 1991. Since then, the protocol has been continuously evolving, with the latest versions including HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2, while HTTP/3 is currently under development.

How does HTTP work?

HTTP operates on the principle of client-server architecture. When a user enters a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) into a browser, the browser (client) sends a request to the server hosting the desired webpage. The server then processes this request and returns a response, which usually contains the content of the webpage.

Basic process:

1. Client sends a request: The browser sends an HTTP request to the server. This request includes a method (e.g., GET, POST), URL, and headers that contain additional information (e.g., content type, language).

2. Server processes the request: The server receives the request, processes it, and retrieves the requested content.

3. Server sends a response: The server returns a response to the client. The response includes a status code (e.g., 200 for a successful request, 404 for content not found) and a message body, which usually contains HTML, CSS, or other content.

HTTP methods

There are several basic HTTP methods, the most important of which are:

• GET: Used to retrieve data from the server.
• POST: Used to send data to the server, usually when submitting forms.
• PUT: Used to update existing data on the server.
• DELETE: Used to remove data from the server.

HTTP security

The standard HTTP protocol is not secure, and data transmitted over HTTP can be subject to eavesdropping. To secure the transmission of sensitive information, HTTPS (HTTP Secure) is used, which is an encrypted version of HTTP that uses protocols like SSL/TLS to protect data.

HTTP is a fundamental protocol that enables data transfer on the internet. Its importance is increasing with the growing use of web applications and digital services. To understand the functioning of the web and its applications, it is essential to have at least a basic knowledge of this protocol.