Hypertext Transfer Protocol

The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) has been in use by the World-Wide Web global information initiative since 1990. HTTP is an application-level protocol with the lightness and speed necessary for distributed, collaborative, hyper media information systems. It is a generic, 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.

News and Updates

• HTTP/1.1 and Digest Authentication become Proposed Standards
• HTTP 1.1 Internet draft 07
• Minutes from the IETF HTTP-wg meeting

HTTP/1.1

A new version of HTTP, referred to as HTTP/1.1, is being developed by the HTTP working group of the IETF, with people from W3C participating in that forum. Draft 07 has been approved by the IESG as the Internet standards-track specification for HTTP, and an RFC will be issued when the RFC editor has had time to process it. The authors of the document are Roy T. Fielding, Jim Gettys, and Jeff Mogul, Henrik Frystyk Nielsen, and Tim Berners-Lee. Jim Gettys is the current editor of this document on behalf of the HTTP working group.

At the same time, Digest Authentication was approved as a proposed standard.

Archives of previous drafts and versions of HTTP are available.

A PowerPoint presentation on HTTP/1.1 is available, to give some overview of new HTTP/1.1 functionality and changes from HTTP/1.0, which will be updated occasionally as it is presented.

IETF Proposed Standard: Internet Draft 07 (August 12, 1996)

Internet Draft 07 of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1 document is available. It reflects the state of discussions as of Monday, August 12, 1996. All changes are of a minor editorial nature, in response to working group and other last call comments. The IESG has approved this draft to become a Proposed Standard and will issue an RFC as soon as the RFC editor has time (the RFC editor is backlogged at the moment). The draft here is the definitive statement of the Proposed Standard until the RFC is issued.

• Version in Microsoft Word (with revision marks),
• Version in Microsoft Word (without revision marks),
• Postscript of document with revision marks
• Postscript of document without revision marks
• Gzip'ed version in Microsoft Word (with revision marks)
• Gzip'ed version in Microsoft Word (without revision marks)
• Gzip'ed Postscript of document without revision marks
• Gzip'ed Postscript of document with revision marks
• Plain text version, and Gzip'ed

Archives of previous HTTP/1.0 drafts are available.

IETF Working Groups

There are two IETF working groups on HTTP issues:

HTTP

The HTTP Working Group will work on the specification of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), both current and new versions. The group is chaired by Larry Mastinter and Dave Raggett and operates within the Application Area of the IETF. The mailing list is <http-wg@cuckoo.hpl.hp.com>.

Web Transaction Security

The WTS working group is specifically tasked with developing requirements and specifications for the provision of security services to HTTP. The group is chaired by Charlie Kaufman, and operates within the Security Area of the IETF. The mailing list is <www-security@nsmx.rutgers.edu>.

Related Protocols

The World-Wide Web model contains many other protocols than HTTP. Some of the most relevant protocols are explained in this section.

HTTP-NG

Here is an overview of this work and its general context.