HyperText Transfer Protocol
HTTP or HyperText Transfer Protocol is used to access the data on the world wide web or www. It transfers files from one host to the other using only one connection. It is more efficient to use in a hypertext environment as it can make rapid jumps from one document to another document.
Features of HTTP
The features of the HTTP are as follows:
- It is a connectionless protocol.
- It is media-independent.
- It is a stateless protocol.
HTTP messages
HTTP messages can be divided into two types, they are as follows:
- Response message
It is the message that contains a status line, the header, and maybe a body, and is sent to the client by the server.
- Request message
It is the message that contains the request line, the header, and maybe a body, and is sent by the client.
Uniform Resource Locater (URL)
HTTP uses the concept of URL to facilitate the access of documents.
It is a standard way to define any information available on the internet.
It defines four parts:
- Method
It is the protocol used to retrieve the document.
- Host
It is the computer where the information is stored.
- Port
It is an optional field that comes between the host and the path. It must be separated from the host by a semicolon.
- Path
It is the pathname of the file that has the information.
Reference