Describe and diagram the different parts of a common url.

1 answer

A common URL (Uniform Resource Locator) consists of several parts that provide specific information about a resource's location on the internet. Here is a breakdown of the different parts of a common URL along with a diagram:

1. Protocol: The protocol specifies the rules and conventions that computers use to communicate with each other. The most common protocols are "http://" (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and "https://" (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure).

2. Domain Name: The domain name is the address that identifies a website. It typically consists of two or more segments separated by periods (dots). For example, in the URL "https://www.example.com," "example.com" is the domain name.

3. Subdomain: A subdomain is an optional part that precedes the domain name. It can provide additional context or specify a particular section of a website. For instance, in the URL "https://blog.example.com," "blog" is the subdomain.

4. Top-Level Domain (TLD): The TLD represents the highest level in the hierarchical domain naming system. It indicates the type or country of the website. Common TLDs include ".com" (commercial), ".org" (organization), ".net" (network), or country-specific codes like ".uk" (United Kingdom). In the example URL "https://www.example.com," ".com" is the TLD.

5. Path: The path indicates the specific location or directory where the resource (such as a webpage or file) is stored on the server. It follows the domain name and is typically separated by forward slashes. For instance, in the URL "https://www.example.com/blog/post," "/blog/post" represents the path.

6. Query Parameters: Query parameters are optional and appear after a question mark "?" in the URL. They provide additional information to the server or script that processes the request. Query parameters are typically in the format of key-value pairs, separated by ampersands "&". For example, in the URL "https://www.example.com/search?q=keyword&page=1," "?q=keyword&page=1" is the query parameter.

7. Fragment Identifier: The fragment identifier, often preceded by a hash "#" sign, specifies a specific section within a document. It is used for direct navigation to anchor points or sections on a webpage. For instance, in the URL "https://www.example.com/page#section2," "#section2" is the fragment identifier.

Diagram:

┌─────────────────┐
│ Protocol │
└─────────┬───────┘

┌────────▼─────────────┐
┌──────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┐
│ Subdomain │ Domain Name │
└───────┬───────┬──────┴───┬──────┬──────┬──────┬──────┬──┘
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
┌────▼───┐ │ ┌───▼──┐ │ │ │ │
│ TLD(s) │ │ │ Path │ │ ? │ Key │ & │
└───┬────┘ │ └─────┘ │ │ Value│ │
│ │ │ └──────┘ │
│ │ │ ┌───┐ │
│ │ │ │ # │ │
│ │ │ ├───┤ │
│ │ │ │ID │ │
└────────┴────────────────┴────────┤ │ │
└───┘ │

Fragment Identifier