Web browser
Aweb browseris anapplicationfor accessingwebsites.When auserrequests aweb pagefrom a particular website, the browser retrieves itsfilesfrom aweb serverand then displays the page on the user's screen. Browsers are used on a range of devices, includingdesktops,laptops,tablets,andsmartphones.In 2020, an estimated 4.9 billion people have used a browser.[1]Themost-usedbrowser isGoogle Chrome,with a 64% global market share on all devices, followed bySafariwith 19%.[2]
A web browser is not the same thing as asearch engine,though the two are often confused.[3][4]A search engine is a website that provideslinksto other websites. However, to connect to a website's server and display its web pages, a user must have a web browser installed.[5]In some technical contexts, browsers are referred to asuser agents.
Function
The purpose of a web browser is to fetch content fromthe Webor local storage anddisplayit on the user's device.[6]This process begins when the user inputs aUniform Resource Locator(URL), such ashttps://en.wikipedia.org/,into the browser. Virtually all URLs on the Web start with eitherhttp:orhttps:which means they are retrieved with theHypertext Transfer Protocol(HTTP). Forsecure mode(HTTPS), the connection between the browser andweb serverisencrypted,providing asecureandprivatedata transfer.[7]
Web pages usually containhyperlinksto other pages and resources. Each link contains a URL, and when it isclickedortapped,the browser navigates to the new resource. Most browsers use an internalcacheof web page resources to improve loading times for subsequent visits to the same page. The cache can store many items, such as large images, so they do not need to be downloaded from the server again.[8]Cached items are usually only stored for as long as the web server stipulates in its HTTP response messages.[9]
Privacy
During the course of browsing,cookiesreceived from variouswebsitesare stored by the browser. Some of them contain login credentials or site preferences.[10]However, others are used for tracking user behavior over long periods of time, so browsers typically provide a section in the menu for deleting cookies.[10]Finer-grained management of cookies usually requires abrowser extension.[11]
History
The first web browser, calledWorldWideWeb,was created in 1990 by SirTim Berners-Lee.[12][13]He then recruitedNicola Pellowto write theLine Mode Browser,which displayed web pages ondumb terminals.[14]TheMosaicweb browser was released in April 1993, and was later credited as the first web browser to find mainstream popularity.[15][16]Its innovativegraphical user interfacemade theWorld Wide Webeasy to navigate and thus more accessible to the average person. This, in turn, sparked the Internet boom of the 1990s, when the Web grew at a very rapid rate.[16]The lead developers of Mosaic then founded theNetscapecorporation, which released the Mosaic-influencedNetscape Navigatorin 1994. Navigator quickly became themost popularbrowser.[17]
MicrosoftdebutedInternet Explorerin 1995, leading to abrowser warwith Netscape. Within a few years, Microsoft gained a dominant position in the browser market for two reasons: it bundled Internet Explorer with its popularWindowsoperating systemand did so asfreewarewith no restrictions on usage. The market share of Internet Explorer peaked at over 95% in the early 2000s.[18]In 1998, Netscape launched what would become theMozilla Foundationto create a new browser using theopen-source softwaremodel. This work evolved into theFirefoxbrowser, first released by Mozilla in 2004. Firefox's market share peaked at 32% in 2010.[19]Applereleased itsSafaribrowser in 2003; it remains the dominant browser on Apple devices, though it did not become popular elsewhere.[20]
Googledebuted itsChromebrowser in 2008, which steadily took market share from Internet Explorer and became the most popular browser in 2012.[21][22]Chrome hasremained dominantever since.[2]By 2015, Microsoft replaced Internet Explorer withEdgefor theWindows 10release.[23]
Since the early 2000s, browsers have greatly expanded theirHTML,CSS,JavaScript,andmultimediacapabilities. One reason has been to enable more sophisticated websites, such asweb apps.Another factor is the significant increase ofbroadbandconnectivity inmany partsof the world, enabling people to access data-intensive content, such asstreamingHD videoonYouTube,that was not possible during the era ofdial-up modems.[24]
Browser market
Google Chromehas been the dominant browser since the mid-2010s and currently has a 64% global market share on all devices.[2]The vast majority of itssource codecomes from Google'sopen-sourceChromiumproject;[26]this code is also the basis formany otherbrowsers, includingMicrosoft Edge,currently in third place with about a 5% share,[2]andOperaandSamsung Internetin fifth and sixth place with over 2% each.[2]
The other two browsers in the top four are made from differentcodebases.Safari,based onApple'sWebKitcode, is dominant on Apple devices, resulting in a 19% global share.[2]Firefox,with about a 3% share,[2]is based onMozilla's code. Both of these codebases are open-source, so a number of small niche browsers are also made from them.
Features
The most popular browsers share manyfeaturesin common. They automatically log users'browsing history,unless the users turn off their browsing history or use the non-loggingprivate mode.They also allow users to setbookmarks,customize the browser withextensions,and can manage userpasswords.[27]Some provide a sync service[28]andweb accessibilityfeatures.
Commonuser interface(UI) features:
- Allowing the user to have multiplepagesopen at the same time, either in different browser windows or in differenttabsof the same window.
- Backandforwardbuttons to go back to the previous page visited or forward to the next one.
- Arefreshorreloadand astopbutton to reload and cancel loading the current page. (In most browsers, the stop button is merged with the reload button.)
- Ahomebutton to return to the user'shome page.
- Anaddress barto input theURLof a page and display it, and a search bar to inputqueriesinto asearch engine.(In most browsers, the search bar is merged with the address bar.)
Whilemobile browsershave similar UI features asdesktopversions, the limitations oftouch screensrequire mobile UIs to be simpler.[29]The difference is significant for users accustomed tokeyboard shortcuts.[30]The most popular desktop browsers also have sophisticatedweb development tools.[31]
Security
Web browsers are popular targets forhackers,who exploitsecurity holesto steal information, destroyfiles,and othermaliciousactivities. Browser vendors regularly patch these security holes, so users are strongly encouraged to keep their browser software updated. Other protection measures areantivirus softwareand being aware ofscams.[32]
See also
References
- ^"World Internet Users Statistics and 2019 World Population Stats".www.internetworldstats.com.Retrieved11 November2019.
- ^abcdefg"Current browser market share".StatCounter.Retrieved19 February2024.
- ^What is a Browser?.Google (on YouTube). 30 April 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 11 December 2021.
Less than 8% of people who were interviewed on this day knew what a browser was.
- ^"What is the difference between the internet, browsers, search engines and websites?".Mozilla. 17 June 2021.
Let's start by breaking down the differences between the internet, browsers, search engine, and websites. Lots of us get these four things confused with each other.
- ^Manasa, D. (19 July 2011)."Difference Between Search Engine and Browser".differencebetween.net.
- ^"What Is the Purpose of a Web Browser?".4 August 2015.
- ^"What is HTTP and how does it work? Hypertext Transfer Protocol Definition".WhatIs.com.
- ^"Definition of browser cache".PC Magazine.
- ^Fountis, Yorgos (4 May 2017)."How does the browser cache work?".Retrieved19 February2020.
- ^ab"Tracking Cookies: What They Are, and How They Threaten Your Privacy".Tom's Guide. 16 September 2013.Retrieved11 March2019.
- ^"Alternatives to Cookie AutoDelete extension".AlternativeTo.Retrieved11 March2019.
- ^"Tim Berners-Lee: WorldWideWeb, the first Web client".World Wide Web Consortium.
- ^Stewart, William."Web Browser History".Archivedfrom the original on 20 January 2011.
- ^Gillies, James; Cailliau, R. (2000).How the Web was Born: The Story of the World Wide Web.Oxford University Press. pp.6.ISBN0192862073.
- ^Calore, Michael (22 April 2010)."April 22, 1993: Mosaic Browser Lights Up Web With Color, Creativity".Wired.ISSN1059-1028.Retrieved31 October2022.
- ^ab"Bloomberg Game Changers: Marc Andreessen".Bloomberg. 17 March 2011.Retrieved7 December2011.
- ^Enzer, Larry (31 August 2018)."The Evolution of the Web Browsers".Monmouth Web Developers.Archived fromthe originalon 31 August 2018.Retrieved31 August2018.
- ^Baker, Loren (24 November 2004)."Mozilla Firefox Internet Browser Market Share Gains to 7.4%".Search Engine Journal.
- ^Routley, Nick (20 January 2020)."Internet Browser Market Share (1996–2019)".Visual Capitalist.Retrieved4 November2021.
- ^"Internet Explorer usage to plummet below 50 percent by mid-2012"(JPEG).Digital Trends.3 September 2011.
- ^"StatCounter April-May 2012 data".Retrieved8 May2021.
- ^"The future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge".Windows Experience Blog.19 May 2021.Retrieved4 November2021.
- ^"Dial-Up Internet Today: Understanding Its Lasting Influence".SimeonOnSecurity.Retrieved21 February2024.
- ^"Desktop Browser Market Share Worldwide".statcounter.
- ^Google (2 September 2008)."Welcome to Chromium".Retrieved28 April2021.
- ^Balaban, David (17 February 2021)."Password Manager Comparison: Top Password Managers for 2021".eWEEK.Retrieved4 November2021.
- ^"Sign in and sync in Chrome".Google Support.Google Inc.
- ^Lee, Simon (29 March 2019)."The Limitations Of Touch Interfaces".Glance.Retrieved23 April2021.
- ^"Chrome keyboard shortcuts".Google Inc.Retrieved23 April2021.
- ^"Browsers are the new IDE for Web Development".devworks.thinkdigit.com.29 June 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 2 July 2012.
- ^"Simple Steps for Internet Safety".fbi.gov.Federal Bureau of Investigation.Retrieved21 February2024.
External links
Media related toWeb browsersat Wikimedia Commons
