The Internet Browser (Executive Summary)

It has been almost 15 years since Netscape introduced the first commercially successful Internet browser called Navigator.  During the last 15 years, Netscape has vanished from the Internet scene and companies such as Google and Facebook rule the roost (and are managed by folks who were in middle school or  high school when Netscape was king!).   No question, a lot has changed in 15 years, but the underlining understanding of the browser has not changed.  

The browser is the ubiquitous software application we use to interface with the Internet.  You may be using Microsoft's Internet Explorer (most used browser application) or Mozilla's Firefox, Apple's Safri or Google's relatively new browser application called Chrome.  They all do the same basic function, which is to allow us to access the power of the Internet.  

The browser application allows us to view websites, photos, movies and play music.  For example, the browser application is designed to process software files which contain the data which represents photos.  A very common photo software file is "JPEG".  The browser application is designed to process or "read" the JPEG software file and then display the photo on your screen.  

The browser application is also designed to allow us to add other programs to expand the usefulness of the browser application.  The add-on programs are known  as plug-ins.  Common plug-ins are Adobe's Acrobate and Adobe's Flash.  Adobe's Acrobate allows us to view documents written in a format called "PDF" and Adobe's Flash allows us to view animation and video.  In short, the continuous development of plug-ins expands the functionality of the browser application.   

Another important function of the software browser is the ability to interpret a computer language called Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).  When we are viewing a page from the Internet, that page is written in HTML, which the browser interprets and then displays on the screen.  The browser also understands a protocol called Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Since the browser understands HTTP, the protocol allows the browser to communicate with other "machines" which are part of the Internet such as other computers,servers and printers. 

A lot has changed since Netscape first introduced its browser application Navigator, but the underlying technology such as plug-ins, HTML and HTTP is still widely used by common browser applications we use today.

Raj Mehta