Unit 1

Introduction to internet, browser features, Using various search

engines, writing search queries.

Courtesy: Internet resources

 What Is the Internet?
• A network of networks, joining many
government, university and private
computers together and providing an
infrastructure for the use of E-mail, bulletin
boards, file archives, hypertext documents,
databases and other computational resources

• The vast collection of computer networks

which form and act as a single huge
network for transport of data and messages
across distances which can be anywhere
from the same office to anywhere in the
world.
Written by William F. Slater, III
1996, President of the Chicago Chapter of the Internet Society
What is the Internet?

• The Internet is a global web of computers connected together by wires

• Terminologies: Browser, search engine, url, domain, html
• Url: UNIFORM RESOURCE LOCATOR- The unique address of any web page. It tells your
computer where the information is stored so it can be viewed.
• Domain: indicates what site you are viewing
• Html: language used to create a web page
Internet Infrastructure

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Tool on the Internet
• Electronic mail (POP, IMAP, SMTP)
• Instant messaging (ICQ, MSN)
• Remote login (telnet)
• File transfer (ftp)
• Network news (nntp)

• Internet Society
– Works with ISPs by providing information to prospective users & attracts product developers
• Internet Architecture Board
– Focuses on TCP/IP & other protocols
 World Wide Web
• An organization of files designed around a group of services on Internet
• Programmed to handle requests from browser software resided on users’ PCs
– Browser: a program that allows pictures & texts of a document to be viewed e.g. Netscape &
IE
– World Wide Web (WWW)
■ Global hypertext network of millions of Web servers & browsers
■ Connected by Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
■ Web pages can be designed by Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
 Web browsers
A Web browser contains the basic software you need in order to find,
retrieve, view, and send information over the Internet.

This includes software that lets you:

● Send and receive electronic-mail (or e-mail) messages worldwide
nearly instantaneously.
● Read messages from newsgroups (or forums) about thousands of
topics in which users share information and opinions.
● Browse the World Wide Web (or Web) where you can find a rich
variety of text, graphics, and interactive information.
 More about the Internet
TELNET: Internet Language
The Internet allows computers to converse
with each other over networks. A telnet • Provider
program allows us to log into a distant – An organization providing an
computer almost as if we were actually entrance ramp to Internet
sitting physically at that computer. • Browser
– A software program loaded in a
FTP: File Transfer Protocol allows us to PC allowing user to access
transfer files between two different Internet
computers on the Internet. • Server
– Destination point on Internet
• Internet:
– A network of networks,
across the planet.
• WWW:
– Web servers with HTML
pages that are viewed on
devices with Web
browsers.
• Web 1.0
– Web pages
– Not interactive
– People find and view information but
don’t‘ interact with it
• Web 2.0
– Users can communicate with Web sites
and each other
– YouTube, Wiki, Flickr, Facebook…etc.
• Web 3.0 – Semantic Web – emerging now
Class Assignment 1
● Identify different network components discussed in class.
● How is distance is effected in data communication.
● What is an IP Address? How is it important.
● Which browser is highly used by users?
Search engines
• Search engines are the
means by which most
people search the Web.
• Common examples are
Google, Altavista, Direct
Hit.
 Web Browsers
⬥ First graphical browser running on general-purpose platforms:
Mosaic (1993)

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 Web Browsers
⬥ Primary tasks:
■ Convert web addresses (URL’s) to HTTP requests
■ Communicate with web servers via HTTP
■ Render (appropriately display) documents returned
by a server

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 HTTP URL’s
http://www.example.org:56789/a/b/c.txt?t=win&s=chess#para5
host (FQDN) port path query fragment
authority Request-URI

⬥ Browser uses authority to connect via TCP

⬥ Request-URI included in start line (/ used for path if none
supplied)
⬥ Fragment identifier not sent to server (used to scroll browser
client area)
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 Web Browsers
⬥ Standard features
■ Save web page to disk
■ Find string in page
■ Fill forms automatically (passwords, CC numbers, …)
■ Set preferences (language, character set, cache and HTTP
parameters)
■ Modify display style (e.g., increase font sizes)
■ Display raw HTML and HTTP header info (e.g., Last-Modified)
■ Choose browser themes (skins)
■ View history of web addresses visited
■ Bookmark favorite pages for easy return
 Web Browsers
⬥ Additional functionality:
■ Execution of scripts (e.g., drop-down menus)
■ Event handling (e.g., mouse clicks)
■ GUI for controls (e.g., buttons)
■ Secure communication with servers
■ Display of non-HTML documents (e.g., PDF) via plug-ins

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Class Assignment 2
● Q: How many computers are in the world?
● Q: How many of them are Web servers?
● Q: How many Web pages in the world?
● Q: What is the most popular formats of Web documents?
● Q: What is the average size of Web document?
● Q: How many queries does a search engine answer every day?