HTTP Full Form- Hypertext Transfer Protocol

What is HTTP? The full form of HTTP is Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The World Wide Web is built on the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which loads web pages via hypertext links. Designed to facilitate information movement between networked devices, HTTP is an application layer protocol that operates on top of other network protocol stack layers. A client computer delivers a request to a server, which replies with a message, in a typical HTTP flow.  An HTTP method, also called an HTTP verb, denotes the response that the HTTP request anticipates from the server it is requesting. For instance, "GET" and "POST" are two of the most popular HTTP methods; a "GET" request anticipates information to be returned (usually in the form of a website), whereas a "POST" request usually signifies that the client is sending information to the web server (e.g., a submitted username and password).

Key Aspects of HTTP

• The World Wide Web (www) uses the HTTP protocol to access data.
• Data can be transferred using the HTTP protocol in a variety of formats, including plain text, hypertext, audio, video, and more.
• Because of its effectiveness in enabling quick transitions between documents in a hypertext context, this protocol is also known as the HyperText Transfer Protocol.
• Given that it also moves files from one site to another, HTTP and FTP are comparable. However, HTTP is less complicated than FTP because it transfers files using just one connection—that is, without a control connection.
• Data in a MIME-like format is transferred via HTTP.
• Because data is transmitted between the client and server using HTTP, it is comparable to SMTP. The way messages are sent from the client to the server and from the server to the client is different with HTTP and SMTP. HTTP communications are delivered instantly, whereas SMTP messages are saved and forwarded.

Features of HTTP

• Connections Protocol: HTTP is one example of a connectionless protocol. The HTTP client sends a request and then watches for the server's response. After receiving the request, the HTTP client disconnects the connection from the server, which then responds to the request and sends the response back to the client. Only for the current request and response time does the client-server connection exist.
• Media independence: Data can be sent over the HTTP protocol as long as the client and server are both capable of handling the data's content. The content type must be specified in the MIME-type header for both the client and the server.
• Stateless: HTTP is a stateless protocol since it only establishes a connection between the client and server during a given request. The protocol's design prevents the client and server from storing information between requests for different web pages.

Benefits of HTTP

• Simple to Use: Even with the extra complexity brought forth by HTTP/2's encapsulation of HTTP messages into frames, HTTP is generally meant to be straightforward and understandable by humans. Humans are able to understand and comprehend HTTP signals, which makes testing simpler for engineers and less complicated for beginners.
• HTTP is Extensible: HTTP headers, which were introduced in HTTP/1.0, facilitate experimentation and protocol extension. Even a basic agreement between a client and a server over the semantics of a new header can bring new capability.
• HTTP is not Sessionless: Even with the extra complexity brought forth by HTTP/2's encapsulation of HTTP messages into frames, HTTP is generally meant to be straightforward and understandable by humans. Humans are able to understand and comprehend HTTP signals, which makes testing simpler for engineers and less complicated for beginners. HTTP headers, which were introduced in HTTP/1.0, facilitate experimentation and protocol extension. Even a basic agreement between a client and a server over the semantics of a new header can bring new capability.