internetbrowser

An internet browser, or web browser, is a software application designed to retrieve, render, and navigate information on the World Wide Web. Browsers communicate with web servers using protocols such as HTTP and HTTPS, request documents written in HTML, and display text, images, multimedia, and interactive content to users. They provide user interfaces for entering URLs, navigating back and forward, managing bookmarks, and organizing multiple web pages in tabs or windows.

Most browsers render pages using a layout engine (rendering engine). Different engines include Blink (used by Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge), WebKit (used by Safari), and Gecko (used by Mozilla Firefox). The choice of engine influences performance, compatibility, and feature support. Browsers implement security features such as sandboxing processes, same-origin policy enforcement, and certificate validation, along with privacy options like private or incognito modes, tracking protections, and regular updates to mitigate vulnerabilities. They also support developer tools for debugging and performance analysis and provide extension ecosystems for customization.

History and market: The modern browser era began in the 1990s with Mosaic and Netscape, followed by Internet Explorer and its successors. In the 2000s and 2010s, browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge popularized faster JavaScript engines and multi-process architectures. Chrome and Edge use Chromium-derived code; Firefox uses the Gecko engine; Safari uses WebKit. Many browsers are cross-platform, running on desktops, smartphones, tablets, and embedded devices.

Standards and compatibility: browsers strive to render content according to web standards set by organizations such as the World Wide Web Consortium and WHATWG. They support technologies for accessibility, multimedia, and web applications, including CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and Web APIs. The browser landscape continues to evolve with features like progressive web apps, service workers, and enhanced privacy controls.