How to Read a URL

 

What's a URL?

an acronym for --- Uniform or Universal Resource Locator.
In other words it is an adress on the World Wide Web.

What's a world wide web address and how do you find it?

This is a URL address and the magic of the internet will find it.
However, it is helpful to know how to read them.

http://www.huntel.net/rsweetland/literature/class/edu600/index.html

For example:

http://www --->>> is a code that precedes

http is another acronym for --- Hypertext transfer (or transport) protocol
and www ---World Wide Web
the :// are seperators selected for their uniqueness in not having previous meaning

huntel.net --->>> is the address of the company that provides by internet service.

rsweetland --->>> is the location or address of my site (the HOB picture and sign post...)

literature --->>> is a folder at my site

class --->>> is another folder inside the literature folder

edu600 --->>> is another folder inside the class folder inside the literature folder...

index --->>> is the name of the page the will open when this address is entered in a browser.

.html or sometimes .htm tells what language the page is written in

html another acronym for hypertext markup language

Knowing this may help visualize the paths that are taken as you navigate the web.

Sometimes if you get a message that an adress isn't available, some of the ending of the address up to a / (slash) can be deleted and the site can be accessed.
For example if
http://www.huntel.net/rsweetland/literature/class/edu600/index.html
is entered into a browser and a message that the page is missing, then any one of the following combinations might bring up the web site and another page that probably replaced it or a link to another page that replaced it.

http://www.huntel.net/rsweetland/literature/class/edu600/

http://www.huntel.net/rsweetland/literature/class

http://www.huntel.net/rsweetland/literature/

http://www.huntel.net/rsweetland

Notice that sometimes the / is added and sometimes it isn't. It isn't important that there be a / at the very end, as there is nothing more that needs to be seperated.

Dr. Robert Sweetland's Notes ©