HTTP & State Management

1. HTTP Protocol, Request & Response Contents, Stateless?

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is a protocol for transferring data over the web:

• A request includes: method (e.g., GET, POST), URL, headers, and optional body
• A response includes: status code (e.g., 200 OK), headers, and a body
• HTTP is stateless because each request is independent, with no memory of prior requests

2. Why HTTP is Connection-less? Why Stateless?

• HTTP is connection-less because it doesn't maintain a persistent connection between client and server after a request-response cycle (handled by TCP)
• It's stateless because it doesn't store session data between requests, requiring mechanisms like cookies for state management

3. State Management, Server-Side & Client-Side Objects?

State management tracks user data across requests:

• Server-side: sessions (e.g., stored in server memory or databases)
• Client-side: cookies, localStorage, or sessionStorage hold user data

4. HTTP Request Methods, GET vs. POST?

HTTP methods include GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc:

• GET: retrieves data, is idempotent, sends data via URL (visible, limited size)
• POST: submits data, is not idempotent, sends data in the body (secure, larger size)

5. HTTP vs. HTTPS, What is SSL?

• HTTP is unencrypted
• HTTPS adds encryption via SSL/TLS