How to Understand HTTP

HTTP is Hypertext Transfer Protocol. In Internet terms, a protocol is a set of rules that determine the interaction between programs on networks. Here are some steps to understanding HTTP.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. There are other protocols that HTTP depends upon. It uses the Internet Protocol (IP), the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

2. HTTP rules spell out the type of request a client (an individual computer) can make. It also spells out the format the request can take, and the type of response that will be made by a server to the request.

3. If a client requests something a server cannot provide, the protocol spells out what the server should return if the item can't be found, can't be read or isn't accessible.

4. When a user clicks a URL or types a URL in a browser, a TCP connection opens. The HTTP request can be sent through that connection.

5. Once a server responds to an HTTP request, it is finished. It moves on to the next request waiting in line. The client and server are no longer in communication.