What is a Web Browser?

Browser, short for web browser, is a software application used to enable computers users to locate and access web pages. Browsers translates the basic HTML (Hypertext Mark Up Language) code that allows us to see images, text videos and listen to audios on websites, along with hyperlinks that let us travel to different web pages. The browser gets in contact with the web server and requests for information. The web server receives the information and displays it on the computer.

There are different browsers for various things you do on the internet. There’s a text based browser. With a text based browser you are only allowed to see text. Graphical material are not displayed. Hyperlinks are accessed by typing it in through the keyboard. An example of a text based browser is LYNX. There’s a graphical browser and that allows the user to see all types of multimedia.

There are several types of browsers but the one thing they have in common is that they carry out the same function; they transfer hypertext. Here are some familiar common web browsers:

• Mozilla FireFox
• Netscape Navigator
• Microsoft Internet Explorer

Every browser features a toolbar that allows you to perform various functions like:

• Go back to the first page you started on the internet which is called Home.
• Book your favorite websites
• Print content you find interesting on web pages
• Check your web history, like the websites you visited in the past
• You can go forward and backwards to see the previous sites you viewed

There are two basic ways that you can navigate through the browser:

• You can click on links on different web pages. Those links will lead you to other web pages.
• If you know the URL or the address of the website you can type it in write in the browser’s box all the way at the top. There’s no need to type in the: http:// part when inserting the address because the browser automatically places it in. Then you have to click enter.

Once you click enter you have to wait for the page to load. While it’s loading you will see the browser icon. Usually a little box will appear at the bottom with bars. It’s called a status bar. When all the bars are filled you will know that the page has finished loading.

So every time you click or a link or enter a URL your browser will request the information from the web server. If your browser returns to the page with a error message the address you typed in could be wrong on you may not be connected to the internet.

Web pages can look different in various types of browser. It’ s always important to download the latest version of your browser. Today most web pages are designed to be viewed in updated browsers. By keeping up with the most up-to-date version of your web browser you will be able to get the best of the web for everything that you need.

Last Updated Wednesday, September 12 2007 @ 04:49 pm PDT