Introduction to Web & HTML
Tags: webdev, beginners, javascript, html
Published: 2022-11-06 06:31:32


**What is Web?**

Web or World Wide Web(WWW) is basically a information system which operates on internet. Even though some of us thinks that Web and Internet is the same thing but its not. if its simplified then I'd say web is a system runs on internet which works as a medium. Any information like E-mail, files, messages.

**How the web works?**

Web contains web pages which are connected to the local computers or servers. These webpages can be accessed using Web browser. Webpages contains a particular URL(Uniform Resource Locator) which can be called as its address. These web pages are published using HTML(Hyper Text Multiple Language) and connected by links called hypertext or hyperlinks and accessed by HTTP(It's a protocol which governs the data sharing). These links connects one webpage to another to help to get the data faster. 

When you look up for some information, you open a browser, type the URL(address) and it opens the desired webpage. when we do that, from your computer, your browser(client) request a web page of which URL you've used. The Web server provides the page to your browser. 

## Servers

A server is basically a computer program or device that serves to another program or devices.
in web or World Wide Web, a web server is a computer which sends web pages to client's web browser based on the information client requested.

**Types of servers**

**File server**- Its a sever which serves files to clients based on their query. 

**Database server**- It is a server which hosts database application and mainly used for create, read, update and delete(CRUD operations). 

**Application Server**- it is a server which runs a application software or app.


**How do servers work?**

Basically when you type a URL in a web browser, your machine, commands the server which hosting the website to get the data to show the site on your screen. server executes the command and shows the site up on your screen.

Even though it looks simple but there are steps-
First the browser breaks the URL in three parts:

**The HTTP Protocol**: THE Hypertext Transfer Protocol which governs the shared data.

**The server name**: DNS or Domain Name System translate the server name in a numerical way which is called IP address.

**The file name**: This file name is for all the files like images or fonts or programming file etc. which are related to the website obviously.

Now your browser connects to the web server to access specific HTML file or code using IP address which was translated by DNS. once web browser and server gets connected your browser send the request and web server receives the request about particular file. then the web server access the particular file from database and as per requirement sends the HTML code for the web page to your browser. Then your browser translate the HTML code and shows it as a web page on your machine.

**Apache server**

Apache is a HTTP server which is free and open source server. Its one of the most popular web server online. Back in 1990s and 2000s, Apache's dominance was so strong that it was serving 50% of the active web servers on the internet but now it has came to 40%. 

The reasons why it is so popular among users, It is considered open source server which means the original source code is freely available for viewing and collaboration. It also can handle large amount of traffic with minimal configuration. It is highly customizable and users can also deploy it easily Windows or Mac or Linux. Only difference would be directory path and installation process. 

**HTML**

HTML is markup language which is used to build the basic structure of a webpage. HTML defines Hyper Text Markup Language. Hypertext means the link which contents link of other texts. And markup language refers to a language which uses tags to define its elements within the document. It is readable like anyone can read this language because it uses standard words rather than typical programming syntax. 

HTML contents defined by HTML tags. These tags are predefined which commands the browser how to display the content. 

```
<!DOCTYPE html>
 <html>
   <head>
     <title>My document</title>
   </head>
  <body>
     <h1>this is a header</h1>
     <p>this is a paragraph</p>
  </body>
</html>
```
In the above example the first line defines the type of contents the document has. <!doctype.html> defines its written in HTML5 version. <head> tag defines the title of the document.<body> tag defines where the actual content has to be written, content like header, paragraph, images, table Etc which the user going to see when they will open a webpage.