Handling URLs in Node.js - Summary

1. What is a URL?

• URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator.

• It is a web address that helps locate resources on the internet.

• Understanding URLs is essential for web development.

2. Components of a URL

A URL consists of the following major components:

a) Protocol

• The protocol defines how communication happens between the browser and the server.

• Common protocols:

  • HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) – Standard communication protocol.

  • HTTPS (Secure HTTP) – Encrypts communication using an SSL certificate for security.

  • WS (WebSocket Protocol) – Used for real-time communication.

b) Domain Name

• The domain name is the human-readable version of an IP address.

• Websites are hosted on servers with specific IP addresses.

• The domain maps to the IP address using DNS (Domain Name System).

• Example: google.com → Mapped to an IP address.

c) Path

• The path specifies a particular resource on the server.

• Example:

  • /about → Refers to the "About" page.

  • /contact → Refers to the "Contact" page.

  • Nested Paths:

    • /projects/tiktok – Nested path structure.

d) Query Parameters

• Query parameters provide additional information to the URL.

• They follow the ? symbol and consist of key-value pairs.

• Example:

  • example.com/search?q=nodejs

  • ?q=nodejs is a query parameter.

• Multiple parameters can be separated using &.

• Example:

  • example.com/search?q=nodejs&sort=latest