Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Internet Explorer comes preinstalled on computers that run the Windows 7
operating system. To use a different browser, simply download it from
the manufacturer's website and install it. Note that certain web applica-
tions prefer certain browsers, so you may want more than one. You can
have multiple browsers installed in Windows, and even have more than
one open at a time. You'll learn more about using a browser later in this
chapter.
Web Pages
A
web page
is a file that is formatted for use on the World Wide Web.
The content of a web page is displayed in a browser. Web pages can con-
tain a variety of content, including text, graphics, audio, and video.
web page
A file formatted for use on the World
Wide Web.
Most web pages are written in
HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
,
which defines the layout of a web page by using a variety of tags and
attributes. When a web page is downloaded into a browser, the browser
uses the instructions in the markup language to display the page as the
page author intended.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
A language for encoding data and graphics for
display in a web browser.
Most web pages contain hyperlinks. A
hyperlink
, sometimes simply
called a “link,” is a clickable link to another page (or another spot on the
same page). The hyperlink is the main mechanism for navigating through
a website. Each page on a website might have any number of links to
content stored elsewhere on the site or even on another site altogether.
When the mouse cursor changes from an arrow symbol to a hand, that
indicates the presence of a hyperlink.
hyperlink
A pointer to another point on a web
page, which you access by clicking the hyperlink.
Some web pages are static. That is, their content does not change until
their owners update them manually. Other web pages are dynamic,
frequently updating information such as a current stock price or weather
report.
Understanding URLs and IP Addresses
You know what the main components of the Internet are. But users
actually access the web pages they need online by using URLs and IP
addresses.
URLs
A
uniform resource locator (URL)
, sometimes called a web address
or a uniform resource identifier (URI), is the set of characters you enter
into your web browser's address bar to navigate to a specific web page.
An example of a URL is
http://www.microsoft.com
. If you type
this URL in your browser's address bar, your browser will display the
main page of Microsoft's website.
uniform resource locator (URL)
A string
of characters that identifies the location of a
resource on a website.
What makes up a URL? The full string of a URL is composed of three
components:
◾
The protocol:
A protocol is a set of rules that govern the transmis-
sion of data between two devices. On the Internet, the
HyperText
Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
is commonly used for this purpose—
hence the presence of
http://
in most URLs. Another example of
a protocol used on the Internet is the Internet Protocol (IP).
HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
The
protocol used to send and receive web pages on
the Internet.
