HTTP

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is a set of rules that allows data to be shared and transferred between two computers over the internet. It is the most commonly used protocol for web communication, with its primary purpose being to transfer hypertext documents over the internet. HTTP defines the structure and rules for exchanging information between two computers, such as what type of data can be sent, how it should be formatted, and how the two computers should interact.

HTTP is part of the application layer of the TCP/IP protocol stack, which is a series of layers that allow computers to communicate on the internet. Each of these layers has its own set of rules and protocols. HTTP is responsible for handling the transmission of hypertext documents. HTTP also supports the use of RESTful web services, which are sets of code used to perform tasks or operations over the internet.

HTTP was first defined in 1991 by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. It has since become the primary protocol used by web browsers and servers and it is used by almost all websites on the internet.

HTTP is based around a request/response process. When a browser makes a request for a web page, the server responds by sending it the web page. The HTTP protocol provides rules and guidelines related to the structure of and meanings behind the request and responses.

The most common HTTP status codes are 200 (OK – Request completed successfully), 404 (Not Found – Page does not exist), 500 (Internal Server Error – Server faced an unexpected problem), and 403 (Forbidden – Server rejected the request).

HTTP is one of the most important building blocks of the internet, and as such is an important technology for those in the fields of computers, programming, and cybersecurity.