Identifying Domains and
Directories
What makes up a web address?
DNS
 DNS stands for Domain Name Server.
The Internet is divided into domains,
usually associated with organizations.
Like a telephone operator who
provides phone numbers on request,
a domain name server is a computer
providing IP addresses on requested
computer names.
DNS cont.
 DNS makes it convenient for users to
specify names of computers instead
of IP addresses.
 Computers have a unique number
made up of four parts separated by
dots: 156.87.44.2
 Without a domain name server you
would have to know numbers to
identify computers.
Domain Names
 Text names corresponding to the numeric IP address
of a computer.
 Domains typically end with a suffix denoting the type
of site:
 .com (commercial)
 .edu (educational)
 .net (network operations)
 .gov (US government)
 .mil (US military)
 .org (organization)
 .us (United States)
 .xx (refers to another country’s two-letter
abbreviation)
Directory
 An organized unit for file storage on a
computer system. It also is a listing
of files residing within such a unit.
 Some Web addresses can be very
long and complicated as a result of
directories, but easy for the developer
to track their files.
Some Examples of Web addresses:
 A short Web address:
 http://www.cnn.com
 A longer and complicated Web address:
 http://www.egusd.k12.ca.us/franklinhs/TechSta
ndards/default.htm
 Generated by a search request:
 http://www.amazon.com/Oyster-Farmer-AlexOLoughlin/dp/B000E1OI8K/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie
=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1202843040&sr=8-1
Web Address (URL) Dissection
 http://www.mcsk12.net/admin/tlapages
/entry_level_pc_index.htm
 http:// - The way that information is
transferred by way of the browser. That
is known as the protocol. In this case the
browser is to use Hyper Text Transfer
Protocol. The language of web pages is
known as HTML, Hypertext Markup
Language. Another common protocol is
known as File Transfer Protocol, or ftp://
Web Address (URL) Dissection
 http://www.mcsk12.net/admin/tlapages/entry_
level_pc_index.htm

www.mcsk12.net/ - The domain name, or
location of the computer on the World Wide Web
which hosts the page. Once a domain is
registered the information provided by that
domain must have a host computer where the
files are stored. That computer is called a server.
Some places are huge collections of servers
known as "server farms."
Web Address (URL) Dissection
 http://www.mcsk12.net/admin/tlapages
/entry_level_pc_index.htm
 admin/ - Servers which host huge
collections of data must organize that
data in directories or file folders.
Anything following the domain name
which is also followed by a slash is the
name of a directory.
Web Address (URL) Dissection
 http://www.mcsk12.net/admin/tlapages
/entry_level_pc_index.htm
 tlapages/ - Very large collections of
data may require sub-directories, or
folders within folders. Your clue that this
is a sub directory is the slash following
the name. .
Web Address (URL) Dissection
 http://www.mcsk12.net/admin/tlapages
/entry_level_pc_index.htm
 entry_level_pc_index.htm - This is
the name of the file, or page, that you
are looking at right now. Each file in the
directory must have a unique name.
Some get very complicated. Spaces
should not be in file names, and in this
case have been indicated by the
underscore character.
Using URLs
 A URL can be typed into the location box on
your browser. Type carefully, if one
character is wrong you will not get to the
page. After typing in the URL press the
Enter key to go to the page.
 If your mouse pointer changes to a hand,
you will know you are linking to another
page. An image can be used as a link.
Disappearance of Web pages
 Web pages disappear from the
Internet.
 Pages get moved to other servers.
 Sometimes you will be redirected to
the new location.
 You can work backward in a URL.
Remove items up to the next slash
then press the enter key. You will be
directed to another page.
Practice Identifying Domains and
Directories.
 http://www.sony.com/faq.shtml
 http://www.altavista.com/web/adv
 http://h20219.www2.hp.com/services
/cache/9516-0-0-225-121.aspx
Practice Identifying Domains and
Directories.
 http://www.visibone.com/products/br
owserbook.html
 www.jklmn.demon.co.uk/
 www.shopireland.ie/dvd/detail/B000B
KTB3Q/Pride