Protocol

A protocol is an agreed-upon method by which computers communicate with each other in a network. The Internet and WWW operate using a series of protocols to specify different types of data transfer.

URLs:

(Protocol) Standards

A listing of Internet and WWW protocols along with links to explanatory resources

Protocols used in the World-Wide Web

WWW relevant protocols

Yahoo-Computers and Internet:Software:Protocols

A directory of Internet protocols

What is TCP/IP?

A history and description of TCP/IP

W3E Resources:

FTP

HTTP

Gopher

Detail:

A protocol is a software method of communication between two or more computers in a network. TCP/IP (the most-well known protocols) is the suite of protocols that governs data exchange on the Internet.

Familiar protocols that were built on top of TCP/IP and perform different types of data exchange functions are:

• FTP (File Transfer Protocol) -- The method of transferring files on the Internet.
• HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) -- The protocol used to deliver hypertext materials viewed on a browser.
• Gopher -- A distributed information delivery protocol.