Abstract

The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is an application-level protocol with the lightness and speed necessary for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems. It is a generic, stateless, object-oriented protocol which can be used for many tasks, such as name servers and distributed object management systems, through extension of its request methods (commands). A feature of HTTP is the typing and negotiation of data representation, allowing systems to be built independently of the data being transferred.

HTTP has been in use by the World-Wide Web global information initiative since 1990. This specification reflects preferred usage of the protocol referred to as "HTTP/1.0", and is compatible with the most commonly used HTTP server and client programs implemented prior to November 1994.

T. Berners-Lee, R. T. Fielding, H. Frystyk Nielsen - 12 MAR 95

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