A Web server is the server software behind the World Wide Web. It listens for requests from a client, such as a browser like Netscape or Microsofts Internet Explorer. When it gets one, it processes that request and returns some data. This data usually takes the form of a formatted page with text and graphics. The browser then renders this data to the best of its ability and presents it to the user. Web servers are in concept very simple programs. They await for requests and fulfill them when received.
Web servers communicate with browsers or other clients using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which is a simple protocol that standardizes the way requests are sent and processed. This allows a variety of clients to communicate with any vendors server without compatibility problems.
Most of the documents requested are formatted using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). HTML is a small subset of another markup language called Standard General Markup Language (SGML), which is in wide use by many organizations and the U.S. Government.
HTML is the lifeblood of the Web. It is a simple markup language used for formatting text. Browsers interpret the markup information and render its intent to the best of their abilities. More importantly, HTML allows linking to different documents and resources; this is the hypertext portion of the Web.
Hypertext allows a user to refer to other documents stored in the same computer or in a computer located in a different part of the world. It allows information to be almost tridimensional. Not only can you read sequentially, but you can jump for more elsewhere.
The information retrieval process is completely transparent to the user; its easy and free-form. Navigation through this sea of information is in an ad hoc way. While the results and implications of this new learning process are yet to be seen, it sure is powerful. It provides a seamless exploration experience of documents and services. This is what the Web is all about. It allows you to gather information easily and presents it in a way that it is easy to digest. Its graphic, and it can combine sound and moving pictures.
You can learn more and find related issues that spark your interest; its interactive. Instead of paging through a book (still a good thing), you can use the computer to remove much of the legwork associated with retrieving related information, and it allows you to explore the material that fits your needs or mood. Its like TV, but you get to choose the programming.
The Web server is responsible for fetching you this information. While Web servers may have been simple at some point, they are not anymore. All Web servers are not created equal.
If all the sudden you were asked to set up a Web site, you would be confronted with a variety of issues that you would need to resolve before you code your first HTML page. The most important issue, and probably the reason why you bought this book, is deciding which server software to use. Given the myriad of Web servers available, the choice is undoubtedly difficult.
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