Http

HTTP (an acronym for HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the foundation of any data exchange on the World Wide Web and it is a protocol used for transmitting hypertext over the Internet. HTTP is a application layer protocol designed within the framework of the Internet protocol suite. Its definition presumes an underlying and reliable transport layer protocol, and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is commonly used.

Overview

HTTP functions as a request-response protocol in the client-server computing model. A web browser, for example, may be the client and an application running on a computer hosting a website may be the server. The client submits an HTTP request message to the server. The server, which provides resources such as HTML files and other content, or performs other functions on behalf of the client, returns a response message to the client. The response contains completion status information about the request and may also contain requested content in its message body.

History

The development of HTTP was initiated by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN in 1989. Development of HTTP was coordinated by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), culminating in the publication of a series of Request for Comments (RFCs), most notably RFC 2616 (June 1999), which defined HTTP/1.1, the version of HTTP in common use.

HTTP Secure

HTTP Secure (HTTPS) is an extension of the HTTP for secure communication over a computer network, and is widely used on the Internet. In HTTPS, the communication protocol is encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS) or, formerly, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). The protocol is therefore also referred to as HTTP over TLS, or HTTP over SSL.

See also

• Hypertext
• Internet Protocol Suite
• Transport Layer Security

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