An introduction of the Web technology in the first class of IT 3203 / 5443 at Kennesaw State University - updated in 2025.

About Jack Zheng

Faculty of IT at Kennesaw.edu

Tag Cloud

https://jgzheng.github.io/IT3203/

http://it5443.azurewebsites.net/

https://www.edocr.com/v/qezldpd2/jgzheng/Introduction-to-Web-Technology

Introduction to Web Technologies
IT 3203 https://jgzheng.github.io/IT3203
IT 5443 http://it5443.azurewebsites.net
Jack G. Zheng
Spring 2025
This document is hosted at
https://www.edocr.com/v/qezldpd2/jgzheng/Introduction-to-Web-Technology
Overview
2
 This lecture notes provide some basic
introduction to the Web and its fundamental
technical pieces.
 Major topics:
 What is the Web?
 History and evolution stages
 How does the Web work?
 Client server architecture
 Key technology components
 Simple vs. dynamic web
 Client vs. server side

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/whats-difference-internet-web/

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Internet_vs_World_Wide_Web

What is the Web?
3
 The Internet
 A world-wide network of networks and computers based
on the Internet protocol
 World Wide Web, or the Web
 Is a client/server application for information and services
 Is one of the Internet applications based on the HTTP
protocol
 Quick research: the difference between the two?
 https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/whats-difference-internet-
web/
 http://www.diffen.com/difference/Internet_vs_World_Wide
_Web
Some Web Related Terms
4
 Web page

usually refers to a static HTML file, or a dynamically generated HTML document displayed in a
browser. It resembles a document and mainly informational.
 Web application (web app)

a specific functionality-oriented component that utilizes web technologies to deliver information and
services to users or other applications/information systems.
 Examples: registration, shopping, survey, learning, gaming, etc.
 Web site

a collection of web pages, applications, etc., under a common name and serve a common purpose
(loosely).
 Web (based) information system

an information system that utilizes web technologies to deliver information and services, to users or
other information systems/applications.
 A web information system usually consists of one or more web applications, together with
information components and other non-web components.
 Web service (two different meanings)
1.
Technically: a software component that utilizes web technologies to serve other applications (not
human users).
2.
Or in a more non-tech context: a service provided to users through a website.
Evolution Stages
5
Stage
Beginning Time
Features
Pre-web
Before 1990
All kinds of Internet applications with its specific
protocols
Early/simple web
Early 1990s
Collection of interlinking web pages. Document
based information retrieval.
Dynamic web
Mid 1990s
More advanced dynamic processing on both server
and client side. More functional applications
emerged.
Web as a
platform
21st century
A fundamental platform to support all kinds of
services and integrate various kinds of systems.
Web 2.0
Since about 2006
Services that support massive user participation and
contribution.
Redefined client/server communication style.
Greater advancement in software-as-a-service.
Mobile Web
Since about 2010
Major renovation of user experience design and
application architectures.
Major client-side advancement.
* Note: each later stage does not replace the early stage
at this time. They only signal the beginning of some
drastically new developments. The applications of each
stage are still widely used today.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Internet

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/executive-perspectives/annual-internet-report/index.html

Pre-Web
6
 Before there was the Web, there was the Internet
 TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is the key to
the Internet

Internet applications other than the Web (note Web itself is a
kind of Internet applications)
 Usenet, BBS, Telnet
 Email, FTP
 P2P, gaming
 Video streaming, instant messaging, VoIP
 Remote control
 Quick research: Which Internet application generates the most
traffic on the Internet?
Extended reading:
• Some history of the Internet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Internet
• Cisco Annual Internet Report https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/executive-
perspectives/annual-internet-report/index.html

http://www.w3.org/2004/07/timbl_knighted

https://webfoundation.org/about/vision/history-of-the-web/

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/25-years-of-the-world-wide-web-the-inventor-of-the-web-tim-bernerslee-explains-how-it-all-began-9185040.html

Early Web, Simple Web
7

Invented by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, 1989
 The early simple web focused on interlinking web
pages/documents for information viewing.
 5 fundamental elements of the web (see slides later, starting #13, for
more details about the architecture of a simple web and its
fundamental elements)
 Web content: HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
 Web client: browser
 Web server
 Web address: URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
 Web protocol: HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
Extended reading: some history of the Web
• https://webfoundation.org/about/vision/history-of-the-web/
• 25 years of the World Wide Web: Tim Berners-Lee explains how it all began:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/25-years-of-the-world-wide-web-
the-inventor-of-the-web-tim-bernerslee-explains-how-it-all-began-9185040.html
Dynamic Web
8
 Dynamic web refers to the addition of the advanced
processing power with programming capabilities at
either server side or client side (or both)
 Because of these powers, more functional
applications emerged, going beyond just information
viewing.
 Shopping, registration, survey, learning, gaming, etc.
 More Internet applications began to have a web
interface
 E-mail, forum (BBS), etc.
 See slides later (#29 to #33) for key technologies
summary

https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/web_as_a_platform.html

Web as a Platform
9
 Early Web is a more of an application itself to deliver
information and service to human over the Internet
 It eventually evolved to an underlying platform that
supports all kinds of software applications and services
 Applications are developed based on Web technologies and
standards directly, not OS (think about a Windows application).
 There is no installation on local systems and minimum need for
OS support.
 Many kinds of applications and services have been brought to
the Web: e-commerce, multimedia, gaming, socialization,
communication, etc.
 Connects human-machine, human-human, machine-machine
 Facilitates the standards development and interoperability
https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/web_as_a_platform.html

http://www.techterms.com/definition/web20

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Web-20-iceberg-model-from-Web20andBeyond-book.jpg

https://www.edocr.com/v/gvbmxvzg/jgzheng/Web-20-Overview

Web 2.0
10
 Web 2.0 is a general and loose concept for the
advancements of the World Wide Web since 2006

"Web 2.0 is term that was introduced in 2004 and
refers to the second generation of the World Wide
Web. The term "2.0" comes from the software
industry, where new versions of software programs
are labeled with an incremental version number.
Like software, the new generation of the Web
includes new features and functionality that was not
available in the past. However, Web 2.0 does not
refer to a specific version of the Web, but rather a
series of technological improvements."
http://www.techterms.com/definition/web20
 Key ideas/technologies
 Massive user participation and contribution
 Socialization: connection, communication, networking,
interaction, sharing
 Collective intelligence: content aggregation,
crowdsourcing, folksonomy, wisdom of the crowd
 Rich user experience
 Asynchronous client/server communication style
 Software-as-a-service.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Web-20-
iceberg-model-from-Web20andBeyond-book.jpg
Learning module #11 will cover this topic
https://www.edocr.com/v/gvbmxvzg/jgzheng/Web-20-Overview

https://www.edocr.com/v/k52p5vj4/jgzheng/Mobile-Web-Overview

(Mordern) Mobile Web
 The popularity of smart phone and tablets pushed the changes of web design on
small screens and touch based interfaces, and eventually the application
architecture.

It's mainly about user experience, particularly with a focus on user interfaces and
interactions.
 Web sites: focus on the display of information adapted to the mobile device
 Web applications: focus on functional features, with UI specifically designed for mobile devices

It impacted the application architecture as well.
 Mobile computing also greatly advanced all aspects of Web 2.0 to a whole new level
(user generated content, participation, social, collaboration, etc.)
 Overview of mobile web

https://www.edocr.com/v/k52p5vj4/jgzheng/Mobile-Web-Overview

Learning module #12 will cover this topic with more details
11
Mobile web refers to the access and use of web sites and web
applications over computer networks through web browsers
using smart mobile devices (and optimized for these devices).
How does the Web work?
 Architecture: C/S
 Simple web
 5 key components in a simple architecture
 More complex (dynamic web)
 More processing capabilities at each components
 Three tier/layer: A more complex architecture
involving more layers at the server side
12

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn_web_development/Getting_started/Web_standards/How_the_web_works

Image from How the web works - Learn web development | MDN
Client/Server (C/S) Architecture
13
 C/S architecture is a distributed application
structure that partitions tasks or workloads between
the providers of a resource or service, called
servers, and service requesters, called clients
Requests and responses
are communication
messages sent between
clients and servers
Servers host
resources and other
functionalities, and
provide services.
Clients request
contents and
services from the
server. They are
the consumers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Client%E2%80%93server_model

Client/Server (C/S) Architecture
14
 Clients and servers are usually software, not necessarily
hardware. They may exist on the same computer.
 Servers and clients can be installed and work independently
(not tied to a specific server or client).
Communication
medium
The medium can be
local network, internet,
or any designated
channel
Servers
Clients
Image from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cli
ent%E2%80%93server_model
Key Technology Components for the Web
15
1. Presentation/UI/content: HTML/CSS
2. Client: browser – present the content and apps
to users
3. Web server – provide content and services
over the Internet
4. Addressing: DNS, URL – host and uniquely
identify a resource on the WWW.
5. Communication protocols: HTTP - describe
how client and server communicate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML

The Internet
Technology Components in a
Simple Web Architecture
16
Web server
HTML Files
HTTP -
Response
URL
http://spsu.edu/index.html
Web client: browser
HTTP -
Request
Server side
Client side
Communication
medium

https://www.w3schools.com/html/tryit.asp?filename=tryhtml_tables

1. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
17
 Hypertext
 Hypertext is text which is not constrained to be linear. Hypertext contains links to other texts.
 Hypermedia is a term used for hypertext which is not constrained to be text: it can include graphics,
video and sound.
 Markup language
 HTML is a standard markup language to describe a web document/page using tags (markups)
 All content in a web page are wrapped in tags: ,

watch?v=hIw0KU2WXHU