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HTTP: The Definitive Guide
Behind every web transaction lies the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) --- the language of web browsers and servers, of portals and search engines, of e-commerce and web services. Understanding HTTP is essential for practically all web-based programming, design, analysis, and administration. While the basics of HTTP are elegantly simple, the protocol's advanced features are notoriously confusing, because they knit together complex technologies and terminology from many disciplines. This book clearly explains HTTP and these interrelated core technologies, in twenty-one logically organized chapters, backed up by hundreds of detailed illustrations and examples, and convenient reference appendices. The Definitive Guide explains everything people need to use HTTP efficiently -- including the "black arts" and "tricks of the trade" -- in a concise and readable manner. In addition to explaining the basic HTTP features, syntax and guidelines, this book clarifies related, but often misunderstood topics, such TCP connection management, web proxy and cache architectures, web robots and robots.txt files, Basic and Digest authentication, secure HTTP transactions, entity body processing, internationalized content, and traffic redirection. Many technical professionals will benefit from this book. Internet architects and developers who need to design and develop software, IT professionals who need to understand Internet architectural components and interactions, multimedia designers who need to publish and host multimedia, performance engineers who need to optimize web performance, technical marketing professionals who need a clear picture of core web architectures and protocols, as well as untold numbers of students and hobbyists will all benefit from the knowledge packed in this volume. There are many books that explain how to use the Web, but this is the one that explains how the Web works. Written by experts with years of design and implementation experience, this book is the definitive technical bible that describes the "why" and the "how" of HTTP and web core technologies. The Definitive Guide is an essential reference that no technically-inclined member of the Internet community should be without.
656 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
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August 24, 2014
When I bought this, even though it had been published in 2002 I thought that it had been updated regularly. It hasn't, and although useful there is no reason why the ebook should be so expensive. I will have to do a lot more reading on the internet to get up to date.
December 21, 2019
A solid choice for getting into HTTP and how the internet works under the hood.For experienced developers the early sections can be skipped.
I enjoyed how the book treated subjects such as : caching, security , consistent connections and proxies.
A good read but not spectacular.
I enjoyed how the book treated subjects such as : caching, security , consistent connections and proxies.
A good read but not spectacular.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2020
Second book this year ? Thanks COVID-19 for slowing me down :@
The book is so good and its content and the way information flows through its parts makes it a great choice for whoever wanna know the internals of the protocol and the history of its evolution over the past decade..
I would have loved if the author dived deep into connection management more than he'd done but overall the reading experience was so good and I totally recommend it ?
(For experts it can act as a very good refresher and also it might give you some ideas of the learnings from limitations of the first versions of HTTP lacking some features (Design with change in mind) and how this was overcome in newer versions/extensions of the protocol)
The book is so good and its content and the way information flows through its parts makes it a great choice for whoever wanna know the internals of the protocol and the history of its evolution over the past decade..
I would have loved if the author dived deep into connection management more than he'd done but overall the reading experience was so good and I totally recommend it ?
(For experts it can act as a very good refresher and also it might give you some ideas of the learnings from limitations of the first versions of HTTP lacking some features (Design with change in mind) and how this was overcome in newer versions/extensions of the protocol)
March 11, 2018
Good book, if you don't understand how exactly http works it's the best choice. But some time I think it's too much info. Some of it you could not remember ) But every unanswered question about http and with what it conected, this book could give a answer to you.
February 27, 2025
This is a Must-read for any self-respecting Web Developer. HTTP is the basis of Internet. To understand it helps when working as a web developer. How communication and information is communicated on the World Wide Web. To master the art of creating such communication at it's very root, as well as to modify/alter it and analyze it. As a web developer with insight into- and knowledge of HTTP you can optimize your websites beyond if you didn't have this knowledge and be able to understand the inner workings of your website on a much deeper level. A definite Must-Read, but just a heads-up, this is a Tome, a Bible but it works perfect as reference litterature after having read it as well. It covers Everything you need to know. I doubt you will be disappointed.
September 9, 2018
An awesome book for every web developer, it introduces an overview as well as deep enough knowledge about HTTP protocol and related topics.
This is should be a must-read for web developer.
This is should be a must-read for web developer.
January 5, 2019
There are considerable sections of the book that is outdated now, but there are some other section that discuss core knowledge engineers who work with web should have.
December 30, 2019
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July 24, 2021
The best book I have ever read about HTTP.
This is a valuable book for any serious software engineer who want to enhance their knowledge in Web technology.
This is a valuable book for any serious software engineer who want to enhance their knowledge in Web technology.
April 24, 2022
i've learned a lot reading this thick ass book. some parts are incredibly boring as hell, but overall a fundamental book for every web developer for sure.
July 11, 2022
I got lost in this book. Full of info. It's like a wiki to refer, not like studying guide
December 7, 2023
A comprehensive tutorial for acquiring sufficient knowledge on HTTP.
December 25, 2024
A great general overview of HTTP and web concepts; easy to follow.
March 2, 2025
Outdated book published in 2002.
But I think its a very well structured book that brings you through all the components of HTTP. Its fun and easy to understand. There will parts where its too tedious and technical ( chapters about character set ) . Its a good introduction though if you want to get started with HTTP.
Hope they release a new edition because this author is great
But I think its a very well structured book that brings you through all the components of HTTP. Its fun and easy to understand. There will parts where its too tedious and technical ( chapters about character set ) . Its a good introduction though if you want to get started with HTTP.
Hope they release a new edition because this author is great
June 6, 2019
Really good explanation and very good for reference too.
The book is engaging, never felt bored reading the book.
The book is engaging, never felt bored reading the book.
July 28, 2013
Probably contains all you need to know about HTTP in an easier to understand form than the RFCs. Sometimes a bit overwhelming in detail, but it is a great resource if you want to look something up.
January 6, 2015
The book is from the early 2000's, but many of these concepts have remained the same. It was good to finally dig down deep in how HTTP works. Def not a light read, but a fun read if you are an internet nerd like me.
April 29, 2008
I learned that chipmunks truly have extraordinary markings. Also? Though dense, this book is very informative about...HTTP.
November 21, 2009
Straight up tells you everything about HTTP.
May 18, 2013
this is the book I should have read 10 years ago.
July 18, 2015
Helpful reference
November 19, 2015
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
April 26, 2016
My first book on HTTP. Not easy for me.
August 22, 2016
A bit out of date, still informative. You can get a overview of the HTTP and internet from the first four chapters.
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March 11, 2018Good book, if you don't understand how exactly http works it's the best choice. But some time I think it's too much info. Some of it you could not remember ) But every unanswered question about http and with what it conected, this book could give a answer to you.
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