Description: The Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) is a string of characters used to identify a resource on the internet. A URI can be a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or a URN (Uniform Resource Name), and its primary function is to provide a means to uniquely and standardized access resources. URIs are fundamental in web architecture, as they allow browsers and other programs to locate and access resources such as web pages, images, videos, and web services. A URI consists of several parts, including the scheme (which indicates the protocol to be used, such as HTTP or FTP), the authority (which may include a domain name), the path (which specifies the location of the resource on the server), and optionally, a query string or fragment. The standardization of URIs has enabled interoperability between different systems and applications, facilitating communication and information exchange on the global network.
History: The concept of URI was introduced by Tim Berners-Lee in 1994 as part of the web specification. The idea was to create a system that would allow unique identification of resources on the network. In 1998, the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) published RFC 2396, which formalized the definition of URIs and established the foundations for their use on the web. Since then, URIs have evolved and become an essential standard for resource identification on the internet.
Uses: URIs are used in a variety of web applications, including the identification of web pages, web services, multimedia resources, and more. They are fundamental to the operation of APIs, where URIs allow developers to programmatically access specific resources. Additionally, URIs are used in creating links between different resources, facilitating navigation and access to related information.
Examples: An example of a URI is ‘https://www.example.com/page’, which identifies a specific web page. Another example is ‘ftp://ftp.example.com/file.txt’, which points to a file on an FTP server. In the context of web services, a URI like ‘https://api.example.com/v1/users/123’ can be used to access information about a specific user in a REST API.
