What is a URL?

A URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, is a string of characters that provides a standardized way to locate and access resources on the internet. It consists of various components that help identify and specify the location of a resource.

Example URL:

https://www.domain.com/shoes/running-shoes-for-men?color=black&sort=newset

Let's break down the different parts of a URL using an example for a blog post:

1. Scheme/Protocol

The scheme or protocol defines the rules and methods for how a resource should be accessed. Common schemes include:

• HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): Used for standard web pages and resources. Example: https://www.domain.com/shoes

• HTTPS (HTTP Secure): Similar to HTTP but encrypts data for secure communication. Example: https://www.domain.com/shoes
• FTP (File Transfer Protocol): Used for transferring files. Example: ftp://ftp.example.com/files
• mailto: Used for email addresses. Example: mailto:user@example.com.
• tel: Used for telephone numbers. Example: tel:+1234567890.

2. Domain Name

The domain name is a human-readable label that corresponds to an IP (Internet Protocol) address. It helps route requests to the appropriate server. Domain names can be further divided into:

www.domain.com

• Subdomain: An optional prefix before the main domain, such as www in www.domain.com
• Top-Level Domain (TLD): The domain extension, like .com, .org, .net, or country code TLDs like .uk for the United Kingdom.

What is DNS?

The domain name is converted to an IP address using DNS (Domain Name System). DNS is a distributed system that translates human-readable domain names into numeric IP addresses, which are used to locate and connect to the corresponding servers on the internet.

When you enter a domain name (e.g., example.com) into your web browser, your computer doesn't directly know which IP address corresponds to that domain. Instead, it queries a DNS server to resolve the domain name to an IP address. The DNS server checks its records or contacts other DNS servers in a hierarchical manner until it finds the IP address associated with the requested domain.

3. Port

A port is a numerical value that identifies a specific endpoint or service on a server. While HTTP typically uses port 80 and HTTPS uses port 443 by default, specifying a different port allows for communication with different services on the same server. In the example https://www.example.com:8080/blog/post, :8080 indicates that port 8080 is being used.

4. Path

The path component in a URL specifies the hierarchical structure of the resource on the server. It helps navigate to a specific location or resource within the website or server.

Example:

/shoes/running-shoes-for-men

shoes/running-shoes-for-men is the path, indicating that the server should find the running-shoes-for-men resource within the shoes section.

• Subfolder: Organize content, nested within main folders in URL path. Example: shoes.
• Slug: Human-readable text, identifies a resource within a folder in URL. Example: `running-shoes-for-men`

5. Query

The query string is used to send parameters or data to the server. It starts with a ? character and contains key-value pairs separated by & symbols. Web applications often use query parameters to customize the content of a page.

Example:

?category=tech&article=123

It is the query string, specifying that the category is tech and the article is 123.

4. Fragment:

The fragment identifier is used to identify a specific section or anchor within a resource, typically a webpage. It's preceded by a # character.

Example:

https://github.com/vaibhav-xt#-hey-there-im-vaibhav-

#-hey-there-im-vaibhav- specifies that the web page should scroll to or display the -hey-there-im-vaibhav- section when loaded.

Summary

So, in summary, a URL is a structured address used to locate resources on the internet. It consists of the scheme, domain name, port, path, query, and fragment, each serving a specific purpose in determining how to access and interact with the resource.

If you want to learn more about URLs or explore internet technology further, feel free to ask. Learning is a lifelong journey, and there's always more to discover in the world of technology and the internet.

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