WEB TECHNOLOGIES
IAT -1 Answers
Part B
1)
The web browser and web server are fundamental components of the World Wide Web. They
work together to enable users to access and interact with websites. Here's a detailed explanation
of both, along with examples, for a long answer:
1. Web Browserv
A web browser is a software application used to access information on the internet. It acts as an
interface between the user and the web. The main function of a browser is to request information
from a web server, interpret the data (usually HTML, CSS, JavaScript), and display it in a user-
friendly format. Web browsers also handle multimedia content, interactive elements, and more.
Key Functions:
o Rendering Web Pages: Browsers interpret HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to
display websites.
o User Interface: Browsers provide an interface for users to enter URLs, view web
pages, navigate, and interact with websites.
o HTTP Requests: Browsers communicate with web servers using HTTP/HTTPS
protocols to fetch and send data.
o Bookmarking & History: Browsers allow users to save links (bookmarks) and
store a history of visited websites.
Popular Web Browsers:
o Google Chrome
o Mozilla Firefox
o Microsoft Edge
o Apple Safari
Example: When you type "www.example.com" into Google Chrome, the browser sends
a request to the server hosting the "example.com" website, retrieves the web page, and
displays it on your screen.
2. Web Server
A web server is a computer system that hosts websites and serves them to users upon request. It
stores, processes, and delivers web pages to clients (i.e., browsers) over the internet. Web servers
use the HTTP/HTTPS protocol to respond to browser requests. They can serve static content
(like HTML pages) or dynamic content (like data from a database).
Key Functions:
o Hosting Websites: Web servers store website files like HTML, CSS, JavaScript,
and multimedia files.
o Handling Requests: When a browser sends a request (via HTTP/HTTPS), the
server processes the request and sends back the appropriate content.
o Managing Databases: In many cases, servers work with databases (such as
MySQL) to dynamically generate web pages based on user input.
o Security: Web servers handle security protocols (like SSL certificates for
HTTPS) to ensure secure communication with browsers.
Popular Web Servers:
o Apache HTTP Server
o Nginx
o Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)
o LiteSpeed
Example: When the browser requests "www.example.com", the request goes to a web
server where the website files are stored. The web server processes the request and sends
the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files back to the browser, which then displays the
website to the user.
Key Differences Between Web Browser and Web Server:
Aspect Web Browser Web Server
Requests web pages and displays Hosts web pages and serves them
Function
them to users upon request
Interacts with the browser (not the
User Interaction Interacts directly with the user
user directly)
Responds to HTTP requests from
Request/Response Sends HTTP requests to servers
browsers
Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox,
Example Software Apache, Nginx, IIS
Safari
Role Client-side application Server-side application
Detailed Example Workflow:
1. User Interaction: A user types "www.wikipedia.org" into a browser (e.g., Google
Chrome).
2. Browser Request: The browser sends an HTTP request to the web server hosting
"wikipedia.org".
3. Server Response: The web server processes the request, retrieves the appropriate web
page files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), and sends them back to the browser.
4. Page Rendering: The browser interprets the data and displays the Wikipedia homepage
to the user.
5. Further Interaction: If the user clicks on a link, the browser sends another request, and
the server responds with the relevant web page.
Conclusion:
While a web browser serves as the user interface for navigating the web and rendering web
pages, a web server works behind the scenes to host, process, and serve web content. Both are
essential components for accessing and displaying websites, but they perform distinct roles in the
process. The browser interacts with users, while the server interacts with the browser to fulfill
user requests.
This distinction is crucial in web development and internet communication, as it helps clarify the
client-server model that underpins the World Wide Web.
Factor Web Browser Web Server
Web Browser is a software
Web server is a software which
which is used to browse and
Purpose provides these documents when
display pages available over
requested by web browsers.
internet.
A web browser sends request to Web server sees and approves those
Function server for web based requests made by web browsers and
documents and services. sends the document in response
Web browsers send HTTP
Web servers receive HTTP Request
Process Request and receive HTTP
and send HTTP Response.
Response
Web servers follow three major
Processing Web browser has no processing
processing models: process based,
Model model.
thread based or hybrid.
Web browsers stores user data Web servers provide an area to store
Data Storage
in cookies in local machine. the website.
Web servers can be installed anywhere
Web Browser is installed on
Installation but it need to be on a network or on
user's machine.
local computer.
Web browser acts as an
Web servers act as the sender of web
Acts as interface between the web
resources like web pages.
server and client.
Responsibility Web browser is responsible to Web server is responsible for hosting
request for a website or websites, processing web requests, and
webpage located on the sending the demanded document to the
internet. client.
Examples of web browsers
include Google Chrome, Apache Server is an example of a web
Example
Internet explorer, Mozilla server.
Firefox, etc.
