Ever wondered, just like Bluetooth how files are sent across the internet?
HTTP which makes it possible
HTTP stands for Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol, created by Tim Berners-Lee, for sharing files like text, videos and audio across WWW. It works at topmost application layer designed to communicate between web browsers and servers using methods ( request/response)
Main Features of HTTP :
Connectionless: A connection between application and server is only established when the client sends a request and receives a response, soon after connection is dropped.
Stateless: After HTTP/2 version, HTTP servers discontinued storing information of the previous requests to provide scalability, making every request independent.
HTTP Request Methods:
Initially, it was created only for sharing HTML pages in form of hyperlinks ( Web1.0 ) for which only GET method was there, but with the evolution of WWW several types of request methods were added:
GET- Used to retrieve data from serverPOST- Used to upload new data to serverPUT- Used to edit pre-existing data on the serverPATCH- Just likePUT, but used for specific minor editDELETE- Used to delete data from the server
HTTPS stands for Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol Secure, is a secured version of HTTP with additional features like data encryption and verification. Any website, especially those that require login credentials, should use HTTPS.
HTTPS uses an encryption protocol to encrypt communications. The protocol is called Transport Layer Security (TLS), formerly known as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
Advantages of HTTPS over HTTP :
Privacy: As a user, you never want to let others steal your login credentials or look at your internal activity.
Integrity: HTTPS ensures that the message has not been manipulated on its way to its destination.
Identification: In HTTPS, a digital signature is attached to the response you received, to verify the sender you expected. This is done via SSL/TLS certification.
Learn more about "How HTTPS works" in a comic way here.
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