Introduction to WWW

Topic: Introduction to WWW Class: SSS Three

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Meaning of WWW (World Wide Web)

WWW is an acronym that stands for World Wide Web. It is often simply called "the Web."

Definition of WWW

The World Wide Web can be defined in a couple of ways:

1. The WWW is a part of the Internet that contains a vast collection of interconnected documents, resources, and applications. These resources can include text, images, sounds, and videos, all linked together.
2. It is an information space where digital documents and other web resources are identified by special addresses called URLs (Uniform Resource Locators). These resources are connected to each other through hypertext links (links you click on) and can be accessed by users globally via the Internet.

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Brief History of WWW

The idea for the World Wide Web was first conceived in 1989 by a London-born computer scientist named Sir Timothy Berners-Lee. At the time, Berners-Lee was working for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland. Scientists at CERN needed a better way to share research files and information electronically across different computer systems.

To achieve this, Berners-Lee and his team developed a set of tools, including:

• A language called HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) for creating web pages.
• The first web browser, initially called WorldWideWeb (later renamed Nexus).
• The concept of URLs (web addresses) and HTTP (the rules for transferring web data).

The first web browser was invented by Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1990. After that, many other web browsers were developed. A notable one was Mosaic (later called Netscape), created by Marc Andreessen in 1993. Today, the most popular web browsers include Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera.

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History of Internet and WWW in Nigeria

The Internet was first formally introduced in Nigeria in 1995. This was largely due to a project by RINAF (Regional Information Society Network for Africa), which received financial backing from UNESCO.

To educate the Nigerian public about this new technology, several workshops were organized. The very first test run of internet connectivity in Nigeria was successfully conducted at Obafemi Awolowo University in 1995. By the late 1990s, the term "Internet" had become widely known among citizens across Nigeria.

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Basic Terminologies of WWW

To understand the World Wide Web better, it's important to know these key terms:

1. Website: A website is a collection of related web pages, images, videos, and other digital files that are grouped together under a common domain name (like google.com or wikipedia.org).
2. Webpage: A webpage is a single document or information resource on the World Wide Web. It's what you see when you open a link in your web browser.
3. Web Server: A web server is a powerful computer that stores websites and their content. When you type a web address, the web server sends the requested web pages to your browser.
4. Web Browser: A web browser (or simply "browser") is a software application that allows you to access, display, and navigate through information resources on the World Wide Web. (Examples: Chrome, Firefox, Safari).
5. Web Address (URL): A web address, also known as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), is the unique name that points to a specific location on the Internet where a file, directory, or website page is hosted.
6. Hyperlink: A hyperlink (or simply "link") is a connection from one hypertext file or document to another location or file. It is typically activated by clicking on a highlighted word, phrase, or image on the screen.
7. Homepage (Main page): The homepage is usually the introductory or main page of a website. It often serves as a table of contents or a starting point for navigating the entire site.
8. Internet Protocol (IP): The Internet Protocol (IP) is a fundamental set of rules that governs how data is sent in packets from one computer to another across the Internet or any other network.

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Internet Protocols

Protocols are like rules that computers follow to communicate. Here are some important ones related to the WWW and the Internet:

The two general protocols often linked directly to the WWW are:

1. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): This is the set of rules that computers use for transferring files (like text, graphic images, sound, video, and other multimedia files) over the World Wide Web. When you type "http://" before a web address, you're telling your browser to use this protocol.
2. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language): While not strictly a transfer protocol, HTML is the computer language used to create and structure web pages. Browsers "read" HTML to display web content.

Other important Internet protocols include:

• TCP: Transmission Control Protocol (helps ensure data arrives correctly).
• UDP: User Datagram Protocol (another way to send data, often faster for things like video streaming).
• SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (used for sending emails).
• FTP: File Transfer Protocol (used for transferring files between computers).
• POP: Post Office Protocol (used for receiving emails).
• ICMP: Internet Control Message Protocol (used for sending error messages and operational information).

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Benefits of the WWW

The World Wide Web offers many advantages and benefits to users globally:

1. Vast and Free Information: The WWW provides access to an enormous amount of information, much of which is available for free, on almost any topic imaginable.
2. Rapid and Interactive Communication: It facilitates quick and engaging communication through email, social media, messaging apps, and video conferencing.
3. Global Accessibility: The Web can be accessed from almost anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection and a device.
4. Exchange of Huge Volumes of Data: It allows for the easy and quick exchange of large amounts of data, files, and multimedia content between users and systems.
5. Online Services and Commerce: The WWW enables online banking, shopping (e-commerce), education (e-learning), entertainment, and many other services.

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Software for Website Development

These are software applications used by web designers and developers to create and build websites and web pages:

1. Adobe Dreamweaver: A powerful application widely used for designing, coding, and managing websites and web applications across various platforms.
2. WordPress: A very popular Content Management System (CMS) that allows users to create and manage websites easily, often without needing to write much code.
3. Microsoft FrontPage: An older web page editor from Microsoft, used for creating websites and web pages. (Note: While historically significant, it's largely replaced by modern tools).
4. VS Code (Visual Studio Code): A free, powerful, and highly customizable code editor from Microsoft, very popular among web developers for writing HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and more.
5. Sublime Text: A popular and fast text editor known for its speed and advanced features, widely used for coding.
6. Notepad: A basic text editor (built into Windows) that can be used to write simple HTML code. It's good for beginners to understand the raw code.
7. Chrome DevTools: These are built-in tools within the Google Chrome browser that allow developers to inspect, debug, and edit web pages directly in the browser.
8. WebPlus X: A user-friendly desktop publishing software for creating websites, though less common now compared to CMS platforms.