Processing URLs

A uniform resource locator (URL) acts as an address label that an HTTP server uses to handle requests from the client. It provides all the information needed to get a request to the correct server on a specific port and to access the proper data.

A URL can be broken down into several different components, each providing a basic piece of information for the webserver on how to route and handle the HTTP request from the client. Figure 7.1 shows the basic structure of a URL and the components that may be included. Not all these components will be included in every HTTP request. For example, most requests do not include the auth component, and many do not include a query string or hash location.

Figure 7.1 Basic components that can be included in a URL.