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HTTP
An acronym for HyperText Transfer Protocol, this is the method used to transfer hypertext files across the Internet.
On the World Wide Web, pages written in HTML use hypertext to link to other documents. When you click on hypertext, you jump to another web page, sound file, video or graphic. Hypertext transfer is simply the transfer of hypertext files from computer to computer. Hypertext transfer protocol is the set of standards used by computers to transfer hypertext files (web pages) over the Internet.
HTTP is a stateless protocol, which means that each command occurs independently, without any knowledge of commands that occurred before. For example, when you enter a URL into your browser, it sends an HTTP command to the web server, telling it to fetch the URL you requested and send it to your browser. When you click a link, your browser will request another page, which the server will fetch and send to you. If your browser again requests the first page you visited, the web server will again find it and send it to you, despite the fact that it just sent it. This stateless design limits the amount of interactivity possible using HTTP, which is why websites and browsers must utilize additional tools such as JavaScript, cache, and cookies, which allow information about past actions to be retained and utilized on future requests.
Also See: Hypertext, World Wide Web
Frequently Asked Questions
Aren’t HTTP and HTML the same thing?
No. While HTML specifies how a webpage should look and what content should be displayed on the screen, while HTTP works behind the scenes to direct your computer and the web server on how information needs to travel from one to the other. If you think of the World Wide Web as a crosswalk, the stop sign in the crossing guard’s hand is HTML, a visual display intended to be read by people. The crossing guard is HTTP, determining when to raise the sign and toward which side of the road.
What is the difference between Http and Https?
Information transmitted over HTTP can easily be intercepted as it travels between the server and a computer. While this isn’t a big concern when viewing public webpages or watching your favorite YouTube videos, it does pose a problem when sending or receiving secure information online. For instance, if you want to purchase something over the Internet, you will need to send your credit card information to the seller. Using standard HTTP, this would be very risky. So, instead, websites use HTTPS, or HTTP Secure. HTTP Secure submits HTTP over a secure SSL connection, encrypting the data so your financial information remains secure, even if someone intercepts the transmission.