Question

1. What is a URL? Describe and diagram the different parts of a common URL.
2. Demonstrate the difference between the href attributes of an internal and an external link.
3. What is a trailing slash used for in a URL? When would you use the trailing slash and when would you not?
4. What does the target attribute do in an anchor element?

Answer 1

1. A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address used to locate a resource on the internet. It consists of several parts:

- Protocol: This specifies the technology used to transfer the resource. Examples include 'http://' for websites or 'ftp://' for file transfer protocol.
- Domain name: This identifies the specific website or server hosting the resource, such as 'google.com' or 'example.org'.
- Path: This indicates the specific location or file within the website's server. It can include subdirectories and individual filenames.
- Parameters: These are additional pieces of information passed to the server, often used for queries or scripting purposes.
- Fragment identifier: It refers to a specific section or anchor within a webpage.

Here's an example diagram of a common URL:
--------------------------------------------------------------
| Protocol | Domain Name | Path | Parameters |
| (http://) | (example.com) | (/blog/) | (?id=123) |
--------------------------------------------------------------

2. The `href` attribute of an anchor element in HTML specifies the link's destination. The difference between an internal and an external link lies in the URL used.

- Internal link: An internal link refers to a specific webpage within the same website or domain. For example:
`<a href="/about">About Us</a>` is an internal link because it points to a page within the same domain, without specifying the protocol or domain name.

- External link: An external link points to a different website or domain. For example:
`<a href="https://example.com">Example</a>` is an external link because it points to a different domain (example.com) with the specified protocol (https://).

3. A trailing slash (/) in a URL is used to indicate the end of a directory or subdirectory within a website. It can serve different purposes depending on the specific website's structure and configuration.

- Use of trailing slash: You would typically use a trailing slash when you want to access the default file within a directory or when you want to differentiate between a directory and a file. For example, when accessing the 'blog' directory on a website, you would use 'example.com/blog/' to access its default file, whereas 'example.com/blog' could refer to a different resource, like a file or a different type of content.

- Not using trailing slash: Sometimes, using a trailing slash is not necessary, especially when accessing a specific file or resource with a known path. For example, 'example.com/image.jpg' does not require a trailing slash as it specifically targets the 'image.jpg' file.

4. The `target` attribute in an anchor element specifies where the linked resource should open. It determines if the link should open in the same window/tab, a new window/tab, or in a specific frame within a frameset.

- `_self` (default): The linked resource will open in the same window or tab that the user is currently using.
- `_blank`: The linked resource will open in a new window or tab.
- `_parent`: The linked resource will open in the parent frame of a nested frameset.
- `_top`: The linked resource will open in the full body of the window, breaking free from any frames.
- Frame name: If the `target` attribute is set to a specific frame name, the linked resource will open in that particular frame.

Example: `<a href="https://example.com" target="_blank">Example</a>` will open the link in a new window or tab.