Contents
What is a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier)?
Have you ever wondered how your web browser knows how to find and display the web pages you’re looking for? The answer lies in the Uniform Resource Identifier, or URI for short. In simple terms, a URI is a string of characters that identifies and locates a resource on the internet.
The Components of a URI
A URI is made up of several components that provide essential information for locating a resource. Let’s break them down:
1. Scheme: The scheme indicates the protocol used to access the resource. It can be HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, or other widely used protocols. The scheme is typically followed by a colon and two forward slashes (e.g., http://).
2. Authority: The authority component specifies the domain name or IP address of the server that hosts the resource. It may also include the port number if a non-standard port is being used.
3. Path: The path component represents the specific location of the resource on the server’s file system. It resembles the file path on your computer, such as /images/logo.png.
4. Query: The query component is optional and is used to pass parameters to the server. It often appears after a question mark and contains key-value pairs (e.g., ?id=123&category=books).
5. Fragment: The fragment component is also optional and is used to identify a specific section within the resource. It is typically preceded by a hash symbol (e.g., #section3).
Examples of URIs
Let’s look at a few examples of URIs to better understand their structure:
1. Web Page:
URI: https://www.example.com/index.html
Explanation: The scheme is “https,” the authority is “www.example.com,” and the path is “/index.html.” This URI represents a specific web page on the example.com website.
2. Image Resource:
URI: ftp://ftp.example.com/images/logo.png
Explanation: Here, the scheme is “ftp,” the authority is “ftp.example.com,” and the path is “/images/logo.png.” This URI points to a specific image resource hosted on the example.com FTP server.
3. Search Query:
URI: https://www.example.com/search?q=URI&category=web
Explanation: The scheme is “https,” the authority is “www.example.com,” the path is “/search,” and the query is “q=URI&category=web.” This URI represents a search query for the term “URI” in the “web” category on example.com.
Conclusion
In summary, a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) serves as a unique identifier for web resources. It consists of components like the scheme, authority, path, query, and fragment, which provide the information needed to locate and access specific resources on the internet. Understanding URIs is crucial for both users and developers to navigate the vast world of the web effectively.
Reference Articles
Read also
[Google Chrome] The definitive solution for right-click translations that no longer come up.