Web Development Intermediate

What is HTTP/2?

The second major version of HTTP that improves performance through multiplexing, header compression, and server push.

HTTP/2, standardized in 2015, addresses performance limitations of HTTP/1.1. Key features include multiplexing (multiple requests/responses over a single TCP connection without head-of-line blocking), HPACK header compression (reducing redundant header data), server push (proactively sending resources before the client requests them), stream prioritization, and binary framing (more efficient than text-based HTTP/1.1). HTTP/2 dramatically reduces page load times by eliminating the need for performance workarounds like domain sharding, CSS sprites, and inline resources. Most web servers (Nginx, Apache) and CDNs support HTTP/2 with TLS.

Learn More About This Topic

JavaScript ES6+ Modern Features

Related reading

JavaScript Fundamentals

Related reading

Laravel Framework Fundamentals

Related reading

Related Terms

Content Negotiation

An HTTP mechanism where client and server agree on the best representation of a resource based on format, language, or encoding preferences.

SSR (Server-Side Rendering)

A technique where web pages are rendered on the server and sent as complete HTML to the browser, improving SEO and initial load time.

HTML elements in the page head that provide metadata about the document for browsers, search engines, and social media platforms.

SPA (Single Page Application)

A web application that loads a single HTML page and dynamically updates content without full page reloads.

Google's metrics for measuring user experience quality, including loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability of web pages.

Progressive Enhancement

A web design strategy that starts with basic functionality for all browsers and progressively adds advanced features for capable ones.

View All Web Development Terms →