Tribhuvan University

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

A CASE STUDY ON

World Wide Web (WWW)

Submitted to
Department of Computer Application
Ratna RajyaLaxmi Campus

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelors in

Computer Application

Submitted by
Dhan Prasad Chaulagain, Roll no:15
May, 2024

Submitted to

Mrs. Kriti Nemkul

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The contents presented in this case study has been carried out and presented at Ratna Rajya
Laxmi Campus, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Tribhuvan University of
Technology as a part of Bachelors of Arts in Computer Application. This case study has
helped me to understand and enhance my knowledge and I hope to continue doing these
type of stuffs.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge our teacher Mrs. Kriti Nemkul for providing me this
type of quality education, guidance and suggestions which has helped us throughout the
completion of this case study. I am also deeply thankful to my colleagues and friends for
their continuous support and constructive criticism, which have significantly contributed to
the improvement of this study.

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 ABSTRACT
World Wide Web (WWW) since its invention by Tim Berners-Lee has made impact how
the webpages and websites are collected together and stored in web servers and serve the
users. This case study includes brief description of Word Wide web, how it has impacted
the internet world positively and negatively and its categories.

The basic objective of this case study is to find out how Web is working worldwide and
how it can benefit users using the internet. It discusses the current scenario of World Wide
Web and upcoming generation of World Wide Web (Web 3.0) which promise to further
enhance the web's capabilities. Through this study, the potential of WWW can be easily
identified along with potential to serve user effectively in coming days.

Keywords: World Wide Web, Web Browser, Web Server, Internet.

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 Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...................................................................................................ii

ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii

Contents .............................................................................................................................. iv

List of figures ....................................................................................................................... v

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1

History.................................................................................................................................. 2

WWW Operations ................................................................................................................ 3

Components of WWW ......................................................................................................... 5

Features of WWW ............................................................................................................... 7

Advantages of WWW .......................................................................................................... 8

Disadvantages of WWW...................................................................................................... 9

Types of Web ..................................................................................................................... 10

Publishing a resource ......................................................................................................... 12

Web Application and It’s Types ........................................................................................ 14

References .......................................................................................................................... 17

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 List of figures

Figure 1 Architecture of World Wide Web (WWW) .......................................................... 1

Figure 2 WWW Operation ................................................................................................... 3
Figure 3 Basic WWW Model .............................................................................................. 5
Figure 4 Working of Web Application .............................................................................. 14

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 Introduction
The World Wide Web (WWW) is a repository of information spread all over the world and
linked together. The WWW has a unique combination of flexibility, portability, and user
friendly features that distinguish it from other services provided by the Internet. The WWW
project was initiated by CERN (European Laboratory for Particle Physics) to create a
system to handle distributed resources necessary for scientific research.

Today it is a distributed client-server service, in which a client using a browser can access
a service using server [1]. The browser is displays a web page on the client machine.
When the user clicks on a line of text that is linked to a page on the abd.com server, the
browser follows the hyperlink by sending a message to the abd.com server asking it for
the page [2].

However, the service provided is distributed over many locations called websites, as
shown in figure 1.

Figure 1 Architecture of World Wide Web (WWW)

The above figure shows the basic architecture of WWW. Here the numerous collection of
URL is stored in Queue and by the Scheduler the specified URL is selected and sends them
to Multi Thread Downloader. It is responsible for downloading the web pages from WWW
using the provided URLs. The downloaded web pages and metadata are then stored in
storage and fetched whenever necessary.

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 History
Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web while working at CERN in 1989. He
proposed a "universal linked information system" using several concepts and technologies,
the most fundamental of which was the connections that existed between information. He
developed the first web server, the first web browser, and a document formatting protocol,
called Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) [3].

CERN is not an isolated laboratory, but rather the focal point for an extensive community
that includes more than 17 000 scientists from over 100 countries. Although they typically
spend some time on the CERN site, the scientists usually work at universities and national
laboratories in their home countries.

The WWW design allowed easy access to existing information and an early web
page linked to information useful to CERN scientists (e.g. the CERN phone book and
guides for using CERN’s central computers). A search facility relied on keywords - there
were no search engines in the early years. In addition, it included the ability to modify pages
from directly inside the browser – the first Web editing capability [4].

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 WWW Operations
WWW encompasses a variety of technologies and components that work together to enable
the creation, delivery, and access of web content. The Operations of WWW are the major
activities carried out during the web service.

Figure 2 WWW Operation

Web Browsers

There are web browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari
that allows users to access and interact with the contents in web. Its main function is to
render the HTML, CSS and JavaScript to display web pages. User enters the URL
(say, http://www.tutorialspoint.com) of the web page in the address bar of web browser.

Domain Name System

The Domain Name System (DNS) which converts human readable domain names into IP
address which is used by computers is requested by browser for the IP address
corresponding to www.tutorialspoint.com. DNS is responsible to Facilitating the routing of
requests and responses between clients and servers.

Web Server

After receiving IP address, browser sends the request for web page to the web server using
HTTP protocol which specifies the way the browser and web server communicates. Web
Servers are basically a computers which stores, process and provides web pages to the
browser. They highly focus on handling requests from browser and deliver respective
content via HTTP or HTTPS protocol. Web server receives request using HTTP protocol

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and checks its search for the requested web page. If found it returns it back to the web
browser and close the HTTP connection.

HTTP/HTTPS

HTTP/HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is nothing but a secure data transmission

protocol enabling data integrity and privacy by encrypting the communication between the
client and server. When the user enters a URL in a browser, it sends an HTTP request to
the server, which then responds with the requested web page.

Web Security

Web Security are the practices to protect the data from cyber threats. It includes
implementation of SSL/TLS (Secure Socket Layer/ Transport Layer Security) to ensure
secure data transmission and Firewalls to protect the server from unauthorized access or
incoming and outgoing network traffic.

Finally, the web browser receives the web page, it interprets it and display the contents of
web page in web browser which was required by the client [5].

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 Components of WWW
The basic idea behind the World-Wide Web is based on a client server application and
hypertext documents as illustrated in the figure below. The model is simplified in that it
only contains elements that exists within the World-Wide Web concept [6].

Figure 3 Basic WWW Model

The Client

The client is the user's interface to the Internet. They are software applications that enable
users to access and interact with web content. They interpret HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and
other web technologies to render web pages.

Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)

The user initiates a request by specifying a Uniform Resource Identifier or a "hyperlink".

This link can specify any accessible information or resource on the Internet as long as it
can be uniquely identified as an object.

The Server

The server is responsible for handling the request sent from the client. This can either be a
local accessible resource or the server can request the resource from another server in which
case the first server temporarily turns into a client. They store, process, and deliver web

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pages to users. Examples: Apache HTTP Server, Nginx, Microsoft Internet Information
Services (IIS).

Hypertext Transport Protocol HTTP

The client sends of the user request to a WWW server using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol
(HTTP). This is a typical client-server application based on a stateless connection between
the client requesting the URI and the server handling the request. The protocol transfers
data in the form of plain text, hypertext, audio, and video.

Hypertext Markup Language HTML

On a successful request, a data object is returned from the server to the client. The object
is written in the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) which is a hypertext language with
the possibility of containing hyperlinks that the user can follow. It structures content on the
web, including text, images, links, and multimedia. HTML includes text, images, links, and
other media.

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 Features of WWW
The World Wide Web (WWW) is characterized by several key features that make it a
dynamic and powerful platform for communication, information exchange, and commerce.
Here are the main features of the WWW:

WWW is open source

WWW is open source platform meaning that any technologies and information are freely
available and can be used, modified, and distributed by anyone allowing innovative and
collaborating development in web technologies. The standards ensure that the technologies
are interoperable (running on different devices and platforms).

Distributed System

WWW is distributed system that spans across various websites. It consists of collections of
interlinked hypertext documents and resources that are accessed over the Internet. This
feature allows any user to access, sharing and retrieval of information from any location.

Hypertext Information System

The Web uses hypertext or hypermedia links (hyperlinks) to connect related pieces of
information. Users can easily navigate from one document to another by clicking on these
links. This eradicates the traditional linear system of sequential navigation allowing users
to jump from one topic to another through hyperlinks.

Cross-Platform

The Web is accessible from different devices and operating systems. You can access the
content whether you’re using a desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone. This fundamental
feature has contributed to worldwide adoption and usability of web services. It uses HTML,
CSS, JavaScript, etc which can be accessible from any devices.

Dynamic and Interactive

The contents in Web evolve constantly with the new contents being added, updated and
modified the existing contents. They interact with databases to store and retrieve data.
Technologies such as PHP, ASP.NET, and Node.js allow web servers to generate content
dynamically based on user requests.

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 Advantages of WWW
There are many advantages of World Wide Web. Some of them are discussed below:

Access of information and data

The web contains huge amount of information which can be accessed by anyone using the
web services. Many online courses, tutorials and knowledgeable platforms provides
required information. Not only users can access the information but can also share these
resources and data to anyone they wish.
Facilitates the exchange of information
Effective tools like emails, instant messaging and various social media platforms facilitates
user to exchange information with one other. They can interact with each other allowing
collaborative culture be it in business, educational purpose, documents and projects despite
geographical boundaries.
E-Commerce and business
WWW has allows different business houses to perform e-commerce activities and business
through several platforms. With the eradication of traditional business, WWW has
introduced the new way of pursuing business.
Entertainment and Gaming
Nowadays, WWW has particularly targeted the entertainment sector. It has allowed users
to access to platforms such as Netflix, YouTube and spotify to watch movies, videos and
listen to music. Gaming sector has also been largely impacted with the widespread use of
web and Internet.
Social Impact and Advocacy
The WWW provides a platform for raising awareness on social issues and organizing
activism. Online forums and communities bring together people with shared interests and
causes, fostering a sense of belonging.
Convenience and Efficiency
Banking, booking travel, and accessing government services online have made these
processes more convenient and efficient. The WWW enables telecommuting and remote
work, offering flexibility and reducing the need for physical presence in offices [7].

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 Disadvantages of WWW
Overload of Information

With the availability of large amount of information, sometimes it can be overwhelming

making users to track and find the reliable and relevant information and data. The sheer
volume of in the web can be challenging to verify if the following information is accurate
and credible or not.

Privacy and Security Concerns

Personal and sensitive information available online are in threat to hacking and data breach.
Most of the websites in WWW keep track of user’s activity leading to collect the sensitive
data directly impacting privacy of particular user.

Social Issues

The online contents sometimes can be additive to users. They might be involved with the
unproductive contents such as tiktok videos, instagram and facebook reels causing wastage
of time and negative impact on health.

Digital Divide

Digital divide is the differentiation between literate and illiterate people using the digital
technology. Not everyone has equal access to the internet, leading to a digital divide
between different socio-economic groups and regions. This can directly distinguish that
some people are better adopted with the benefits of WWW than other people.

Quality of Information

When there are numerous information flowing around the web, it is very difficult to verify
the correct and accurate information. It can spread false information quickly, leading to
misinformation and priority to fake news. The web contents are less regulated than
traditional media, allowing spread to harmful or misleading content among the users.

Stress and tension in the brain

Social media platforms often highlight others' achievements and lifestyles, leading to
feelings of low self-esteem as individuals compare themselves to other standards. Online
harassment and bullying can also cause significant emotional stress and anxiety [8].

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 Types of Web
The World Wide Web can be categorized on the basis of different criteria as content
delivery, functionality and generations. WWW based on:

Content delivery includes Surface web, Deep web and Dark web.

Functionality includes E-commerce web, informational web, entertainment web, etc.

Generation includes Web 1.0 (Static web), Web 2.0 (Dynamic web) and Web 3.0 (Semantic
web). These categories are explained briefly below:

Surface web

The surface web refers to the part of the WWW that is indexed by search engines and
accessible to the general public. It includes websites, blogs, and other content that you can
find through a standard search which can be easily accessed by public. These includes News
websites, e-commerce sites and blogs.

Deep web

Contrary to popular belief, the deep web isn’t a mysterious realm. It consists of web pages
that aren’t indexed by search engines, often requiring specific credentials for access.
Examples include private databases, subscription services, and password-protected content.
These can be only accessed via subscription. These includes online banking, subscription-
based services and academic resources.

Dark web

The dark web is a small, intentionally hidden section of the deep web. It’s often associated
with anonymity and privacy, hosting encrypted websites that aren’t accessible through
traditional browsers. While it has legitimate uses, it’s also known for illegal activities.
These includes Anonymous forums, black markets and whistleblowing sites [9].

E-commerce web

An e-commerce web is one that allows people to buy and sell physical goods, services, and
digital products over the internet rather than at a brick-and-mortar location. Through an e-
commerce website, a business can process orders, accept payments, manage shipping and
logistics, and provide customer service.

Informational web
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An informational website is a type of website that is primarily designed to provide
information to visitors. Unlike e-commerce websites or interactive platforms, informational
websites focus on delivering content and details about a specific subject, topic, or
organization.

Entertainment web

An entertainment website is a platform for sharing and enjoying various forms of

entertainment, such as movies, music, games, and celebrity news online. Whether you’re
an entertainment business wanting to promote your shows as well, an entertainment website
is just what you need.

Web 1.0 (Static web)

This is the first version of the Web which consisted of a few people creating web pages and
content and web pages for a large group of readers or to help people better find information.
This web version is sometimes called “the read-only Web” because it lacks the necessary
forms, visuals, controls, and interactivity we enjoy on today’s Internet.

Web 2.0 (Dynamic web)

Web 2.0 is many people creating even more content for a growing audience. Web 1.0
focused on reading; Web 2.0 focused on participating and contributing. Web 2.0 is all about
the end user's experience. Consequently, this Web form was responsible for creating
communities, collaborations, dialogue, and social media. Web 2.0 is known as the dynamic
web.

Web 3.0 (Semantic web)

Web 3.0, which is also referred to as Web3, is built on a foundation consisting of the core
ideas of decentralization, openness, and more excellent user utility. Web 3.0 is called as
Semantic Web and envisioned an intelligent, autonomous, and open Internet that used
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to act as a "global brain" and process content
conceptually and contextually [10].

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 Publishing a resource
Web publishing is the process of publishing original content on the Internet. The process
includes building and uploading websites, updating the associated webpages, and posting
content to these webpages online. Web publishing comprises of personal, business, and
community websites in addition to e-books and blogs. Publishing a resource includes
several process, they are explained below:

Content Creation

Content creation is the first and foremost process while publishing a resource. Select the
topic you are posting about. Make sure it is something that will resonate with your audience.
This could be text, images, videos and other media. Your content defines how you will be
connecting with the audience.

Build and Design a Website

This is the biggest step in this process. The resources is to be published to new web page
or web site, this is the crucial step. Web design is crucial, as it is how your website looks
and feels when users visit. Poor web design can decrease user experience, which can turn
people away from staying on your site.

Web hosting

A web hosting provider is a service that will make sure your website works when someone
visits it. Find a quality hosting site. Cheaper is not necessarily better as it can be slower.
Research to ensure you don’t get frustrated in the end. The content needs to be stored on a
web server that can serve it to users upon request.

Selecting Domain Name

Choose a better and easy to remember domain name for your website so that the resources
are accessed by the users efficiently. This involves using Domain registrars to make sure
your domain name is available and ready to be used. With Domain names, your resources
is visible to the targeted users.

Publishing contents

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It is the section where your contents go live on the internet. Now, the users can access or
use your resources depending upon what they are looking for. This step generally includes
deploying the content to the web server and web server is the one who provides content to
those who are fetching for them.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is the mechanism where your resources are visible to the users ensuring that the
content are discoverable by search engines. It includes mentioning appropriate keywords
and Meta tags. With SEO, your website gets the non-paid traffic enabling large number of
visitors. Furthermore, your content needs to rank high in search engine visibility [11] .

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 Web Application and It’s Types
A Web App is like a special computer program that you can use on the internet without
having to download it onto your computer. It is different from regular apps that you need
to install. You can open your web browser (like Chrome and Safari) and start using the app
right there online. This innovative approach eliminates the need for the conventional
download and install process.

In essence, a web app stands as a program residing on the internet, accessible through your
web browser, sparing you from the complexities of the conventional download process on
your computer or phone. A truly user-friendly and convenient experience.

Figure 4 Working of Web Application

Web applications operate on a client-server architecture where our device (client) requests
services or information from a powerful computer (server) hosting the application. When
we access a web app, our browser sends a request to the server, which processes it and
sends back the necessary data for our browser to display and interact with. User
interactions, such as clicking buttons or entering text, are processed by the server, which
updates the app accordingly. Data, like documents or game scores, is stored on the server
or in cloud-based databases, ensuring it is accessible from any device with an internet
connection. The development of these web apps involves using technologies like HTML
for structure, CSS for styling, and JavaScript for interactivity, enabling a seamless and
dynamic user experience [12].

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Depending upon the types of objectives, each web app type caters to the audience and
business needs. We can categorize web applications into the below-mentioned types.

Static Web Applications

Static web applications do not indulge in any server-side generation of HTML pages.
Rather, these apps run on the client side within the browser and do not interact directly with
the users. For example: Portfolio websites, company informational sites, and personal
blogs.

Dynamic Web Applications

This type of web app is designed to deliver a dynamic user experience by using server-side
rendering of HTML pages. The interactivity with the user is high as the content is displayed
based on the user’s activity. They are usually connected to database. For example: Social
networking sites, online forms, and interactive dashboards.

E-commerce Web Applications

E-commerce web app development companies are helping businesses to create robust web
apps that meet the extensive demands of the evolving ecommerce market. To list, buy, sell,
or market products, business leaders are utilizing ecommerce web applications as a premier
medium to meet business objectives and earn desired revenues. For example: Amazon,
eBay and Alibaba.

Content Management System

CMS web applications have transformed how businesses would create and manage content.
The process has become faster, simpler, and more intuitive. If you plan to create a CMS,
you can consult a web applications development company that can provide effective
solutions that meet your needs. For example: Word Press, Joomla and Drupal

Single-Page Applications

Single-page applications have gained immense popularity for their fast page load concept,
where the browser loads all the pages all at once. It does not require reloading pages to
view or access new information. These applications tend to provide an optimal user
experience to the users by making information delivery faster, simpler, and more efficient.
For example: Gmail and Google Maps.

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Multi-Page Applications

Unlike single-page applications, this type of web application includes multiple pages
relating to multiple sets of information. The browser reloads the website to access different
pages existing on the web application. It is usually used to keep your web app feature-
packed. You require a more vibrant and extensive architecture to pack more large-scale
functionalities. For example: E-commerce sites and news websites.

Progressive Web Applications

PWAs exhibit a native app-like experience despite being built in the web architecture.
These apps are installable and provide an impeccable user experience. You can consult a
PWA development company to help you comprehend your web app ideas and turn them
into an interactive app that meets cross-industry demands. For example: Twitter Lite,
Pinterest and Starbucks' ordering app [13].

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 References

[1] I. C. Bhupendra Singh Saud, in Computer Netwroking, KEC PUBLICATION AND

DISTRIBUTION PVT. LTD., 2078.

[2] "geeksforgeeks.org," geeksforgeeks, [Online]. Available:

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/world-wide-web-www/.

[3] "History of the World Wide Web," [Online]. Available:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_World_Wide_Web. [Accessed 23 May
2024].

[4] "A short history of the Web," [Online]. Available:

https://home.cern/science/computing/birth-web/short-history-web.

[5] "WWW Overview," [Online]. Available:

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/internet_technologies/www_overview.htm.

[6] "The World-Wide Web," [Online]. Available:

https://www.w3.org/People/Frystyk/thesis/WWW.html.

[7] "Advantages of World Wide Web," [Online]. Available:

https://learntechit.com/advantages-of-world-wide-web/.

[8] "Advantages of World Wide Web," [Online]. Available:

https://learntechit.com/advantages-of-world-wide-web/.

[9] "What is WWW? World Wide Web Explained," [Online]. Available:

https://medium.com/@mhdmusthak582/what-is-www-world-wide-web-explained-
5e98d48ffcea.

[10] "What is Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0," [Online]. Available:
https://www.simplilearn.com/what-is-web-1-0-web-2-0-and-web-3-0-with-their-
difference-article.

[11] What Is Web Publishing? How Does it Work?, Content Refined, 2022.

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[12] GeeksforGeeks, What is Web App?, 2024.

[13] Rexettit, Types of Web Applications, 2023.

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