View source for Web browser

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A web browser is a software application that finds and retrieves information resources on the [[web|World Wide Web]], and displays the retrieved information on the user's computer screen.

==Finding and retrieving information==
The browser's first task is to find and retrieve the desired information resource. The location of each information resource on the [[web]] is indicated by an address, called a [[Uniform Resource Locator]] (URL). When the URL is entered into the browser's [[address bar]], the browser sends a request to the [[website]]. The request is processed and answered by the [[web server]] running the website, which sends a copy of the corresponding information resource (such as a [[web page]]) back to the browser.

The retrieved information resource may be a [[web page]], an image, an audio or video file, a document (such as in [[Word]] or [[PDF]] format) or any other identified piece of content on a [[website]]. The basic principle of the [[web]] is that each resource has its own unique address: its [[Uniform Resource Locator|URL]].

In addition to accessing resources on the [[web|World Wide Web]], web browsers can also retrieve and read any information sources in [[HTML]] format, even when disconnected from the web. The web browser can thus read HTML files stored on the user's own computer, or on a server in a [[private network]].

==Presenting the retrieved information==
The web browser reads the accessed information source, usually written in [[HTML|HyperText Markup Language]] (HTML), and prepares it for presentation on the user's computer. The information may be presented in visual form for viewing on the user's screen (text or images), in audio format for listening through speakers or headsets, or in mixed visual and audio format (videos, interactive games).

==Navigation via hyperlinks==
Information resources on the web typically contain [[hyperlink]]s pointing to related resources. Clicking on the hyperlink will redirect the web browser to the related resource, thus allowing users to "navigate" from link to link. Browsers generally include a back-arrow allowing navigation back to previously-read pages.

Early browsers could only open one information resource (or page) at a time. More recent browsers can open several resources at a time, either in separate [[window]]s, or in separate [[tab]]s.

==Major web browsers==
The major web browsers are:
*Internet Explorer
*Mozilla Firefox
*Apple Safari
*Google Chrome
*Opera

==External Links==
*Wikipedia article about web browsers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_browser

[[Category:Web browsers]]
[[Category:Webuser tools]]
[[Category:Draft]]