HTTP
HTTP is an acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It is a standard networking protocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia systems which has been used in the World Wide Web since 1990.[1] The protocol is used in communication between the web pages and web servers. It allows users to download pages and connect to servers located in different parts of the globe. The design and specifications of HTTP was first developed by Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of World Wide Web.[2] The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the W3C coordinate the development and publications of HTTP standards through RFCs.
Background
Original HTTP Document
The first document regarding the HTTP protocol was written by Tim Berners-Lee in 1991 and it was implemented on a prototype release by W3C initiative software as HTTP 0.9. In the original document HTTP 0.9 was defined by Berners-Lee as a simple search and retrieve protocol which runs through a TCP/IP connection.[3] [4]
Basic HTTP Specification
In 1992, Berners-Lee submitted the Basic HTTP specification to the IETF as an Internet Draft. In detail, he defined HTTP as a "protocol with the lightness and speed necessary for a distributed collaborative hypermedia information system. It is a generic stateless object-oriented protocol, which may be used for many similar tasks such as name servers, and distributed object-oriented systems, by extending the commands or methods used". In addition, he added that HTTP's characteristics is the negotiation of data representation which allows systems to be built independently for the development of new advanced representations. [5]
HTTP Standardization
IETF initiated the standardization of HTTP standards on the latter part of 1994 which was strongly supported by W3C.[6] In 1996, Tim Berners-Lee together with Roy Fielding and Henrik Frystyk Nielsen published the RFC 1945, the first IETF Informational Document for HTTP/1.0.[7] Experimental implementations on HTTP 1.1 was conducted by a group of computer scientists within Libwww, the W3C protocol library and Jigsaw, W3C's Web server. The scientists discovered errors as well as the full potential of the protocol.[8] A proposed IETF standard, RFC 2068 was subsequently published in 1997. [9]
RFC 2616 is the current IETF draft standard for HTTP/1.1.[10]
HTTP Working Group
The HTTP working group was started working on the specifications of the protocol in 1995. The group include Tim Berners-Lee & Dave Ragget who served as co-Chairman, John Klensin & Erik Huizer served as Application Area Directors While Jeffrey Schiller worked as Security Area Director. [11]
References
- ↑ RFC 2616 Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1
- ↑ Tim Berners-Lee Short Bio
- ↑ The Original HTTP as defined in 1991
- ↑ HTTP Addressing
- ↑ Basic HTTP as defined in 1992
- ↑ HTTP Activity Statement
- ↑ [http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1945.txt Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.0]
- ↑ HTTP Activity Statement
- ↑ Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1
- ↑ [ http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2616 REF 2616 Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1]
- ↑ HTTP Working Group