| Web Browsers have come a long way from the | | | | continuous development activities in developing |
| days of the first internet web browser, Mosaic and | | | | standards, specifically with XHTML and CSS |
| the like. The monopoly of the Microsoft-authored | | | | (cascading style sheets, used for page layout). Some |
| Internet Explorer has been decisively broken and | | | | of the more popular browsers include additional |
| terminated possibly, forever. Web browsers today | | | | components to support Usenet news, IRC (Internet |
| have progressed from being a mere | | | | relay chat), and e-mail. Protocols supported may |
| internet-exploring tool to being a multi-purpose, | | | | include NNTP (network news transfer protocol), |
| multi-pronged application that brings several | | | | SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol), IMAP (Internet |
| advantages to the web visitor. A web browser is | | | | message access protocol), and POP (post office |
| defined as a software application, a typical HTTP | | | | protocol). |
| client that helps the internet visitor to interpret the | | | | Different browsers have uniqueness built in because |
| HTML documents and display the content from web | | | | of the very features that they provide and very |
| servers or in file systems.Today there are a variety | | | | functions that they support. Modern browsers and |
| of internet browsers available. The prominent | | | | web pages tend to utilize many features and |
| browsers available for personal computers include | | | | techniques that did not exist in the early days of the |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox Opera | | | | web. The following is a list of some of the most |
| Netscape and so on. A browser is the most | | | | notable features: |
| commonly used kind of user agent. The largest | | | | - HTTP and HTTPS |
| networked collection of linked documents is known | | | | - HTML, XMLand XHTML |
| as the World Wide Web. | | | | - GIF, PNGJPEG and SVG |
| Web browsers communicate with web servers | | | | - Cascading Style Sheets |
| primarily using HTTP (hyper-text transfer protocol) to | | | | - JavaScript |
| fetch webpages. HTTP allows web browsers to | | | | - Digital certificates |
| submit information to web servers as well as fetch | | | | - RSS |
| web pages from them. The most commonly used | | | | - Bookmarks |
| HTTP is HTTP/1.1. Web Pages are located by means | | | | - Caching |
| of a URL (uniform resource locator), which is treated | | | | - Plugins like Macromedia Flash and Quick Time. |
| as an address, beginning with http: for HTTP access. | | | | Other features generally include: |
| Many browsers also support a variety of other URL | | | | - Autocomplete |
| types and their corresponding protocols, such as ftp: | | | | - Tabbed browsing |
| for FTP (file transfer protocol), gopher: for Gopher, | | | | - Spatial navigation |
| and https: for HTTPS (an SSL encrypted version of | | | | - Caret navigation |
| HTTP). | | | | - Screen reader |
| The generally accepted file format for a web page is | | | | - Pop-up Blocker |
| usually HTML (hyper-text markup language) and is | | | | - Ad filtering |
| identified in the HTTP protocol using a MIME content | | | | - Phishing |
| type. Most browsers certainly support other | | | | Web Browsers have today established themselves as |
| technology formats in addition to HTML, such as the | | | | a most user-friendly and essential technology tool for |
| JPEG PNG and GIF image formats, and can be | | | | surfing the internet. Web browsers help the visitors |
| extended to support more through the use of | | | | to the ethereal world of the web to view contents |
| plugins. The combination of HTTP content type and | | | | from different file formats, interact with other |
| URL protocol specification allows web page designers | | | | websites, incorporate appropriate technology to view |
| to embed images, animations, video, sound, and | | | | download/upload multi-media content and streaming |
| streaming media into a web page, or to make them | | | | multi-media. Web browsers today provide |
| accessible through the web page. | | | | functionalities like blocking of unwanted pop-up |
| In the beginning web browsers supported only a | | | | advertisements, spywares and phishing attempts. |
| very simple version of HTML. The rapid development | | | | They provide the convenience of tabbed browsing |
| of web browsers led to the development of HTML | | | | and come with advanced features like auto-fill and |
| into a more complex avatars. Modern web browsers | | | | password and download managers. |
| support standards-based HTML and XHTML which | | | | Web browsers of today are not mere messengers |
| should display in the same way across all browsers. | | | | between client and server. They are full-fledged |
| Web sites today are designed using WYSIWYG | | | | programs capable of using fuzzy logic to select most |
| HTML generation programs such as Macromedia | | | | appropriate content and help the web visitor to |
| Dreamweaver or Microsoft Frontpage. There are | | | | browse safely and pleasurably. |