Interpreting a URL

Definition of URL: Uniform Resource Locators, or URLs, are the Internet addresses that you see on the Location bars at the top or bottom of your Web browser.

You can enter the URL of a site by typing it into the Location window of your web browser, just under the toolbar.

If you get a message that the connection cannot be made, check your typing of the subject. If spelling is correct, the site is busy. Continue to try.

You can find the URL behind any link by passing your mouse cursor over the link. The pointer will turn into a hand and the URL will appear in the browser's status bar, usually located at the bottom of your screen.

How URL's are constructed

Construction: protocol:// servername.domain/path
Example: http://www.scc-fl.edu/lrc.htm

Protocol

HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol, the standard format for the World Wide Web.
FTP: File Transfer Protocol. Used for downloading large files, and software.

Servername.domain

The domain name is the Internet address of the computer which is hosting the site and storing the documents, i.e. the server. Most server addresses have three parts

1. The address of the computer which is hosting the Web page: www is a common name
2. Domain (the institution/organization/enterprise/whatever where the machine is located). For the U.S., these are the following classes of Internet domains:
   
   

   .com	a commercial site	Example: http://www.disney.com
   .edu	a governmental site	Example: http://math.ucr.edu
   .gov	an educational institution	Example: http://www.house.gov
   .lib	a library	Example: http://www.alexandria.lib.va.us
   .mil	a military site	Example: http://www.army.mil
   .net	an Internet Service Provider	Example: http://www.city.net
   .org	an organization not seen as being for-profit	Example: http://www.sierraclub.org/

   
   
3. Two-letter country code: us (not always used)
4. Complete list of domain extensions (Alldomains.com)

Path

This lets the computer know which directories, subdirectories and files to access after connecting to the server. File type can be included:

• .html or .htm: hypertext (the standard for the Web);
• .gif, .jpg, .bmp: image types;
• .zip: compressed files

Tell Me More

• Consider the Source (Ithaca College)
• Develop a Search Strategy
• Evaluate Sites

Did you know?

SCC has full service Libraries at Sanford/Lake Mary, Oviedo and Altamonte Springs Campuses.