Web addresses, searches and file transfers
Know where you are going
A web address, or URL, identifies a resource on the web. A search query is the wording you ask a search engine to search for. A browser's address bar can accept either, so read what you entered and where it takes you.
| Example entered | Its role here |
|---|---|
https://docs.example.org/a | A complete web address |
library opening hours | Words for a search |
The example domains in this lesson are reserved for documentation. They are illustrations, not websites you need to visit. A URL can also contain a query part; that does not make it the same thing as a plain-language search request.
Read the hostname, not just a familiar word
In the simple HTTPS addresses below, the hostname comes after https:// and before the next /. The path follows it.
Example 1
https://docs.example.org/a
- Hostname:
docs.example.org - Path:
/a
Example 2
https://example.com/docs.example.org/a
- Hostname:
example.com - Path:
/docs.example.org/a
In the second address, the familiar words docs.example.org are in the path. They do not change the hostname to docs.example.org.
- Identify the expected hostname in this exercise:
docs.example.org. - Read the actual address:
https://example.com/docs.example.org/a. Its hostname isexample.com. - Separate the path:
/docs.example.org/acontains familiar words but does not change the hostname. - Recognise the mismatch. Do not treat this as the expected destination; use an independently known correct address.
HTTPS is not a truth certificate. A valid HTTPS connection protects data in transit to and from the site; it does not prove that the site's claims or downloads are trustworthy. Check the actual destination and the source, rather than relying only on https:// or a familiar word in a link.
Transfer direction: from your device's point of view
| Operation | Direction in this example |
|---|---|
| Download a PDF from a website to your device | Website → your device |
| Upload a completed file from your device to a portal | Your device → portal |
Selecting a file in a file chooser is not, by itself, proof that an upload has finished. Check the application's completion indication before assuming the file arrived.
Five practice checks
- Which entry is a plain-language search query in these examples?
Show answer
Correct answer: B
“exam practice timetable” supplies words for a search. The other entries are complete HTTPS addresses. The address bar can accept both kinds of input.
Option A: This entry supplies a complete address with a scheme, hostname and path.
Option C: This is a complete web address, not the search wording asked for here.
Option D: This is a complete web address; its path is /results.
Hint: Look for the entry that asks a search engine to find information using words.
- What is the hostname in
https://example.com/docs.example.org/a?
Show answer
Correct answer: D
In this simple address, example.com is between https:// and the next slash. The words docs.example.org occur later in the path, so they are not its hostname.
Option A: These words are inside the path after the hostname.
Option B: a is a path segment, not the hostname.
Option C: https identifies the scheme, not the host.
Hint: Locate the first slash after the hostname, rather than choosing a familiar name anywhere in the address.
- When a browser has established a valid HTTPS connection, which statement is correct?
Show answer
Correct answer: A
A valid HTTPS connection protects data in transit. It does not guarantee honest content, harmless downloads or a match with the destination you intended.
Option B: Connection protection is not proof that content is true.
Option C: A protected connection does not guarantee the safety of every downloaded file.
Option D: An unintended site can also use HTTPS; read the actual hostname.
Hint: Separate a protected connection from a trustworthy claim.
- From your device's point of view, which action is a download?
Show answer
Correct answer: C
The PDF moves from the website to your device. That direction is a download in this example; sending a local file to a site is an upload.
Option A: This direction is from your device to the website: upload.
Option B: Renaming a local file changes its name, not its network-transfer direction.
Option D: Printing produces paper output; it is not the website-to-device transfer described here.
Hint: Follow the arrow: website to your device.
- You choose a completed file on your device to submit to a portal. Which statement is correct?
Show answer
Correct answer: B
The direction is from your device to the portal, so it is an upload. You still need to check that the application's upload or submission process has completed.
Option A: A local file being sent out to a portal follows the upload direction.
Option C: A selection can occur before transfer; it is not a completion receipt.
Option D: Renaming a file is different from sending its contents to the portal.
Hint: Identify both the direction and the evidence that the process has finished.
Keep three questions separate
What did I enter? Which host is it? In which direction is the file moving? A familiar-looking word or a completed file selection cannot answer all three.
Source notes: MDN on URLs, Chrome address-bar search, Chromium on connection security and trust, Chrome downloads, Drive uploads and IANA example domains. Examples and practice questions are original.
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