HTTP Developer's Handbook

HTTP is the protocol that powers the Web. As Web applications become more sophisticated, and as emerging technologies continue to rely heavily on HTTP, understanding this protocol is becoming more and more essential for professional Web developers. By learning HTTP protocol, Web developers gain a deeper understanding of the Web's architecture and can create even better Web applications that are more reliable, faster, and more secure.

The HTTP Developer's Handbook is written specifically for Web developers. It begins by introducing the protocol and explaining it in a straightforward manner. It then illustrates how to leverage this information to improve applications. Extensive information and examples are given covering a wide variety of issues, such as state and session management, caching, SSL, software architecture, and application security.

Customer Reviews:

Clear and informative guide to HTTP

By A Williams "honestpuck" - February 18, 2004

To say that understanding HTTP is crucial for web development might seem like saying water is wet, yet many people don't take the time to fully understand the protocol. This book could be a good help. HTTP Developer's Handbook from SAMS gives you a great deal of information about the protocol in a clearly understood fashion.One of the strangest feelings I've ever had reading a book is that I have a better opinion of it than does the author. Shiflett spends most of the introduction convincing the reader that this is a useful book and it seems that the start of most chapters is another few sentences telling me why the chapter is incredibly useful for me to read. I felt like yelling "I'm convinced, I'm convinced."The book is broken up into 6 parts: `Introducing HTTP,' `HTTP Definition,' `Maintaining State,' `Performance,' `Security,' and `Evolution of HTTP.'The first section and a large part of the introduction are the sort of information that is covered elsewhere in just as... read more

Excellent Information

By Jose Castillo - September 12, 2003

I have been looking for a book that really details maintaining state and session management, and this book is it. Really helped me to understand this subject. Covers different methods of maintaining state instead of just the authors favorite. The explaination of cookies in this section is really good. Several example implementations are included. Also includes and excellent explanation of the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and how it works. This book really helped me to deepen my understanding of HTTP.

An invaluable instructional working reference

By Midwest Book Review - November 13, 2003

The HTTP Developer's Handbook by HTTP expert Chris Shiflett will prove to be an invaluable instructional working reference for Web developers of all experience levels by providing a thoroughly "user friendly" understanding of underlying protocols and thereby remove unnecessary dependencies upon specific tool sets in the creation and maintenance of superior Web applications as well as facilitating adaptions to the involved technologies. HTTP has become an essential topic because the Web's importance has created an army of people creatively leveraging the Web for their specific needs. By making standards information more available to the common developer, standards compliance becomes more widespread and common, something that the industry needs. This book will easily become the standard reference for the Internet's most dominant protocol.