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Alternative Applications for URLs

What are the various applications for Uniform Resource Locators?

Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) are most commonly used to identify resources on the World Wide Web (WWW) and specify how to access them. Some common applications of URLs include:
  1. Web Browsing: URLs are used to access and display web pages through a web browser.
  2. File Downloads: URLs can be used to download files such as images, videos, and documents from the internet.
  3. Online Services: URLs are used to access online services like email, cloud storage, and social media platforms.
  4. Online Shopping: URLs can be used to access online shopping websites and purchase products or services.
  5. Streaming Media: URLs can be used to stream music, videos, and other types of media from online platforms.
  6. Search Engines: URLs are used to search for information on the internet using search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
  7. Database Access: URLs can be used to access databases and retrieve information from them.
  8. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs): URLs can be used to access APIs, which provide programmatic access to data and services on the internet.
  9. Deep Linking: URLs can be used to link directly to specific pages or content within a website, making it easier for users to find what they're looking for.
Overall, URLs play a crucial role in accessing and organizing the vast amount of information and resources available on the internet.

Client Server Architecture

Other uses for URLs

URLs can make requests of host computers. For example, the URL cplusoop.com is a request for the computer named www in the domain ooportal.com to run a program. This type of URL is used for building interactive Web sites using CGI scripts and other programming techniques.
A uniform resource locator (abbreviated URL; also known as a web address) is a specific character string that constitutes a reference to a resource. Most web browsers display the URL of a web page above the page in an address bar. A URL implies the means to access an indicated resource, which is not true of every URI. URLs occur most commonly to reference web pages (http), but can also have a role in
  1. file transfer (ftp),
  2. email (mailto),
  3. database access (JDBC),
  4. and many other applications (see URI scheme for a list).