The Internet is worldwide computer network which interconnects, millions of computing devices all through the world. Mostly devices are PC's, and servers which store & transmit information like web pages & e-mail messages. Internet is revolutionizing and increasing the way we as humans communicate, both locally & about the globe. Everyone wished to be a part of it because literally the Internet puts a world of information & a potential worldwide audience at your fingertips.
The Internet evolved through the ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency) to which other networks were added to make an inter network. The present Internet is a set of several hundred thousand of networks instead of a single network. From there evolved high-speed backbone of Internet access for sharing these of networks. The ending of decade saw emergence of the World Wide Web, which heralded platform-independent means of communication increased with a pleasant and comparatively easy-to-use graphical interface.
World Wide Web is an illustration of an information protocol/service which can be used to send & receive information over the Internet. It supports following:
- Multimedia Information (text, , pictures, movies ,sound, programs . . . ).
- HyperText Information (information which contains links to other information resources).
- Graphic User Interface (so users can point & click to request information rather than typing in text commands).
The World Wide Web model follows Client/Server software design. A service which uses client/server design needs two pieces of software to work: Client Software, which you employ to request information, and Server Software, which is Information Provider.
For the World Wide Web, the server software is called an HTTP server (or informally a Web server). For example : CERN HTTP, Mac HTTP and NCSA HTTP. For World Wide Web the client software is called a Web browser. For example: Netscape, and Internet Explorer.