Hypertext Transfer Protocol

Draft

Definition

HTTP defines how a web server and a client (e.g. a web browser) communicate. It is one of the most important applications layer standards of the Internet and an important component of web applications.

According to Wikipedia, “Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a method used to transfer or convey information on the World Wide Web. Its original purpose was to provide a way to publish and retrieve HTML pages. Development of HTTP was coordinated by the World Wide Web Consortium and the Internet Engineering Task Force, culminating in the publication of a series of RFCs, most notably RFC 2616 (1999), which defines HTTP/1.1, the version of HTTP in common use today. (retrieved 17:57, 28 March 2007 (MEST))”

Links

Standards

• RFC 2616 / HTTP 1.1

Introductory texts

• Wikipedia HTTP article

Other

• HTTP Status Codes (e.g. the numbers you see in your navigator when something goes wrong)