HTTP

HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a client-server protocol designed for (fast) distribution of hypertext documents and other types of media over the Internet. The main features of HTTP are:

• The ability to return to the client not just files but also information generated by programs running on the server.
• The ability to take data sent from the client and pass information to other programs on the server.

The World Wide Web uses the HTTP protocol to acquire data from http servers. Unlike protocols such as FTP or Telnet, HTTP is a state-less protocol, in that the connection remains open between the client and server only for the duration of the transfer, and no information is generally retained by the server about the connection.

Here are the steps that occur when an article is requested from an HTTP server:

1. The client (typically a Web Browser) makes an HTTP connection to the host.
2. The server accepts the connection.
3. The client sends a request for a document -- one line of text, such as:

          GET path_from_URL

4. The server closes the connection and fetches the requested document.
5. The server reopens the connection and sends the requested document.
6. The client accepts the document.
7. When the send is complete, the server closes the connection.
8. The client terminates the HTTP connection.

For an in-depth review of HTTP, check out the Internet Draft on it at:
http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/Protocols/HTTP/1.0/spec.html

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