Web Requests

eb requests are the backbone of the internet. Whether you’re browsing a website or making an API call, every interaction with a web application involves sending and receiving web requests. In this post, we will explore the basics of how web requests work.

What is a web request?

A web request is a message sent from a client (typically a web browser or an API client) to a server. The purpose of the request is to initiate communication between the client and the server and to retrieve information from the server. Web requests are typically made using HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), a standard protocol for communication on the web.

Anatomy of a web request

A web request consists of several components, including:

• HTTP method: The HTTP method specifies the type of request being made. The most commonly used HTTP methods are GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and PATCH.
• URL: The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) specifies the address of the resource being requested. For example, if you’re requesting a webpage, the URL will be the address of that webpage.
• Headers: Headers provide additional information about the request, such as the type of data being sent or the encoding being used.
• Body: The body of the request contains any data that needs to be sent to the server. For example, if you’re submitting a form on a webpage, the form data will be sent in the body of the request.

How a web request is processed

When a client sends a web request, the request is received by a server. The server processes the request and sends a response back to the client. The basic steps involved in processing a web request are:

1. DNS lookup: When a client sends a request to a server, it first needs to determine the IP address of the server. This is done through a DNS (Domain Name System) lookup, which converts the server’s domain name into an IP address.
2. TCP connection: Once the client has the IP address of the server, it establishes a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) connection to the server. TCP is a protocol that ensures reliable, ordered delivery of data over a network.
3. HTTP request: Once the TCP connection is established, the client sends an HTTP request to the server. The request contains the HTTP method, URL, headers, and body.
4. Server processing: The server receives the request and processes it. This may involve accessing a database, running a script, or performing some other operation.
5. HTTP response: Once the server has processed the request, it sends an HTTP response back to the client. The response contains the status code, headers, and body.
6. TCP connection termination: Once the response has been received, the client and server terminate the TCP connection.

HTTP status codes

HTTP status codes are three-digit numbers returned by a server in response to a web request. They indicate whether the request was successful, whether an error occurred, and what kind of error occurred. The most commonly used HTTP status codes include:

• 200 OK: The request was successful, and the server is returning data.
• 404 Not Found: The server was unable to find the requested resource.
• 500 Internal Server Error: An error occurred on the server while processing the request.

Conclusion

In conclusion, web requests are an essential part of the internet, and understanding how they work is crucial for anyone working with web applications. A web request consists of an HTTP method, URL, headers, and body, and is processed by a server, which sends an HTTP response back to the client. HTTP status codes are used to indicate the success or failure of a request. By understanding the basics of web requests, you can gain a better understanding of how the internet works