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HTTP Basics

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The Browser as a GUI for HTTP

1:52 with Chris Ramacciotti

The HyperText Transfer Protocol provides a flexible yet dependable way for two devices to communicate over the internet. However, if we always had to manually construct these small "text files" for HTTP requests and responses, communication would be quite tedious. This video introduces the web browser as a graphical user interface (GUI) for HTTP.

[MUSIC] 0:00
[SOUND] Earlier in the course, I used the metaphor of a phone conversation to 0:03
describe the HTTP request response cycle. 0:08
A monotone phone conversation provides limited opportunities for 0:11
digesting the information that's being communicated. 0:15
This is like HTTP, a monotone phone conversation. 0:19
Now, imagine hanging up your monotone phone, 0:23
riding your bike across town to a friend to have an in-person conversation. 0:27
Now you can incorporate facial expressions, body language, and 0:32
even inflection of voice. 0:36
The experience becomes immersive and 0:38
is probably a conversation that will last longer and be more memorable. 0:40
This is what the browser has done with HTTP. 0:45
It provides a way from people to communicate using the language of HTTP in 0:48
engaging ways. 0:52
Offering colors, fonts, imagery and 0:53
animation to the actual information being transmitted. 0:56
Taken this way, you can think of a browser as a graphical user interface or 1:01
GUI for HTTP. 1:06
Certainly, HTTP exists without this GUI, but with the browser, we can offer people 1:09
of all interests an enriching experience in communicating over the Internet. 1:14
And, most people probably rarely think about the fact that the conversation 1:19
between their browser and the web server that hosts the content they're viewing 1:23
is using HTTP as its protocol for communication. 1:27
As a developer though, 1:32
an understanding of how the browser is using HTTP is essential for success. 1:33
So, for the remainder of the course, we'll crack 1:39
the hood of the browser to reveal the underlying HTTP messages being sent and 1:42
received, as well as see how your browser uses HTML to construct those requests. 1:46