The HTTP Protocol, or Hyper Text Transfer Protocol, stands out as the leading application protocol within the TCP/IP suite, which drives the Internet.
To be clear, it’s not just one of the protocols; it’s the most successful and widely used one.
HTTP is crucial for the functionality of the World Wide Web, providing browsers with the means to communicate with remote servers hosting web pages.
In 1991, Tim Berners-Lee standardized HTTP following his work at CERN, the European Center of Nuclear Research, where he had been engaged since 1989. This standardization was a pivotal moment for the development of the web.
The initial goal of developing HTTP was to facilitate the seamless exchange and interlinking of research papers, aiming to enhance collaboration within the scientific community.
During that time, the primary applications on the internet were limited to FTP (File Transfer Protocol), Email, and Usenet (newsgroups, which are now mostly unused).
The turning point came in 1993 with the release of Mosaic, the first graphical web browser. This event marked a significant leap forward.
The World Wide Web quickly emerged as the standout application of the Internet, often referred to as the “killer app” due to its transformative impact on how information is shared and accessed.
While the Web and its surrounding ecosystem have undergone significant transformations, the fundamentals persist. A notable evolution is that HTTP, initially designed for web pages, now also supports REST APIs—an essential method for programmatically accessing services over the Internet.
In 1997, HTTP experienced a minor revision with the introduction of HTTP/1.1. Subsequently, in 2015, its successor, HTTP/2, was standardized. Presently, major web servers worldwide are implementing HTTP/2, showcasing the continuous development of this essential protocol.
The HTTP protocol is deemed insecure, much like other protocols such as SMTP and FTP, when transmitted without encryption. Consequently, there is a significant contemporary push to adopt HTTPS, where HTTP is served over TLS (Transport Layer Security).
It’s essential to note that the foundations of HTTP/2 and HTTPS trace back to HTTP. In this article, we will delve into the workings of HTTP.
HTTP serves as the communication method between web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and various others (referred to as clients) and web servers.
The term “Hyper Text Transfer Protocol” originates from the necessity to transfer more than just files, as in FTP (File Transfer Protocol). Instead, it aims to transfer hypertexts, written in HTML, which the browser then presents graphically with a pleasing layout and interactive links.
The adoption of HTTP was driven by the powerful concept of links and the simplicity in creating new web pages, marking a significant shift in the way information is shared on the internet.
HTTP is the mechanism for transferring hypertext files, including images and various file types, across the network.
An HTTP server goes beyond merely transmitting HTML files; it commonly serves a range of file types such as CSS, JS, SVG, PNG, JPG, and others. The specific types of files served depend on the server’s configuration.
HTTP is adept at transferring various files, and the client is informed about the file type, allowing proper interpretation.
In the web’s functioning, when a browser fetches an HTML page, it interprets it. Any additional resources required for proper display, like CSS, JavaScript, or images, are obtained through additional HTTP requests to the same server. This seamless exchange of requests and responses is fundamental to the operation of the web.
