The Internet and the World Wide Web

• Internet:

  • Uses transmission protocols such as TCP and IP (Internet Protocols)
  • Allows the user to communicate with other users
• World Wide Web (WWW):

  • Collection of webpages and other information on websites
  • Uses HTTP(S) protocols that are written using Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML)
  • URLs (Uniform Resource Locator) are used for the location of the web pages
  • Web browsers can access web pages.
• Uniform Resource Locator (URLs)

  • URLs are used to locate and access web pages.
  • The typical format of URLs is - protocol://website address/path/file name
  • The protocol would usually be HTTP or HTTPS
• HTTP and HTTPS

  • HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, and HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
  • They are safety protocols maintained while transmitting data.
• Web Browsers

  • It is software used to connect to the internet
  • It translates the HTML code
  • Ensures SSL & TLS security can be established
  • Offers additional features
• Retrieval and Location of web pages

  • The browser sends the URL to the domain name server (DNS)
  • DNS stores the index and matches it with the IP
  • IP is sent to the browser if it exists
  • The browser sends a request to the IP of the webserver
  • Browser interprets the HTML
• Cookies

  • Cookies are small files stored on the user’s computer
  • They are used to track data about the users and autofill forms or give suggestions accordingly
• Session Cookie:

  • Temporary cookies are stored in the RAM till the browser is closed
  • Doesn’t collect any information on the user
• Persistent Cookie

  • Remembers the user’s login details so the user doesn’t have to log in every time they visit a website
  • Stored on the hard disk on the computer until their expiry date or the user deletes them
• Functions web browser:

  • storing bookmarks and favourites
  • recording user history
  • allowing use of multiple tabs
  • storing cookies
  • providing navigation tools
  • providing an address bar
• Cookies are used for functions, including:

  • saving personal details
  • tracking user preferences
  • holding items in an online shopping cart
  • storing login details