Learning Web Design, 3rd Edition

CHAPTER 2 HOW THE WEB WORKS

IN THIS CHAPTER

An explanation of the Web, as it relates to the Internet

The role of the server

The role of the browser

Introduction to URLs and their components

The anatomy of a web page

I got started in web design in early 1993—pretty close to the start of the Web itself. In web time, that makes me an old-timer, but it’s not so long ago that I can’t remember the first time I looked at a web page. It was difficult to tell where the information was coming from and how it all worked.

This chapter sorts out the pieces and introduces some basic terminology you’ll encounter. If you’ve already spent time perusing the Web, some of this information will be a review. If you’re starting from scratch, it is important to have all the parts in perspective. We’ll start with the big picture and work down to specifics.

The Internet Versus the Web

No, it’s not a battle to the death, just an opportunity to point out the distinction between these two words that are increasingly being used interchangeably.

The Internet is a network of connected computers. No company owns the Internet (i.e., it is not equivalent to a service like America Online); it is a cooperative effort governed by a system of standards and rules. The purpose of connecting computers together, of course, is to share information. There are many ways information can be passed between computers, including email, file transfer (FTP), and many more specialized modes upon which the Internet is built. These ...