How the Internet Works for Web Development Newbies

Imagine the internet as a vast network of computers all connected together. These computers communicate with each other using a common language, and this language is called HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). It's like a universal way for computers to share information.

When you type a web address (like www.example.com) into your browser and hit Enter, your computer sends a request using HTTP to the server where the website is stored. The server is just a powerful computer that holds all the information about that website.

The server then responds by sending back the information your computer needs to display the website. This information includes:

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

This is like the backbone of a web page. It structures the content, determining what is a heading, paragraph, image, link, etc.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

Think of CSS as the artist's palette. It adds style to the HTML structure, deciding how the page should look. Colors, fonts, spacing – all the visual aspects are controlled by CSS.

JavaScript

This is the magic that happens on the page. JavaScript adds interactivity. It can make elements move, change, or appear/disappear based on user actions.

So, in simple terms, when you visit a website, your computer talks to another computer (the server) using a common language (HTTP). The server then sends back the website's structure (HTML), style (CSS), and interactivity (JavaScript), which your browser interprets and displays as the website you see. It's like a conversation between computers, making the internet a fascinating and interconnected space!