What is an Error?

Everyday we do browsing and sing along our own voice. Though the surfing runs smoothly sometimes, sometimes it throws some error codes or messages.  Let us take a deep dive to understand such browser error codes.  

Fasten your seat belts.  No worries! It's not a supersonic platform. Cool.

Who found this error?

The word "error" comes from Indo-European languages, originally meant "wander, go astray". Additionally there is a latin word as "errare" which is the reflective of the modern word error.

As per the evidence from middle English, this word 'error' is used since 1823.

Let's get into our modern era, where error & error codes started to evolve.  The American mathematician Richard Hamming invented the first error-correcting code in 1950.

Error code as HTTP & HTTPS status codes

Let us look at the error messages and the respective error codes thrown in the browsers.  

Error code comes as HTTP status code, which is a server's response to a browser's request.  When any website is opened, the browser sends a request to the site server, and the server responds with a three-digit code which is called the HTTP status code.

What is HTTP and HTTPS?

( In simple words )

HTTP : Hyper Text Transmission Protocol

The World Wide Web transaction protocol - the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), is constructed in a model, where a client's web fetch causes a TCP session to be opened with the specified target host.

The ensuring HTTP conversation identifies the requested data on the destination host, and this data is then passed back to the client. This delivery model is best expressed as a just-in-time delivery model, where the data is passed to the client on demand.

HTTPS : Hyper Text Transmission Protocol Secure

Hyper Text Transmission Protocol Secure means a secure variant of base HTTP.  The communication established between the browser and the server is secured.  HTTPS uses Secure Socket Layer and Transport Layer Security.  TSL is a new version of SSL.  

HTTPS accomplishes or bundles the two secure layers as TSL and TLS since SSL connection is responsible for the encryption and decryption of the data that is exchanged in order to ensure data safety.

Types of Error Codes - HTTP Status Codes

There are five types of error codes are mainly.

1. Information responses

2. Success responses

3. Redirection responses

4. Client responses

5. Server responses

1. Information responses : (100-199)

In simple words, we can say it as a wait for a final response from the server. From the code, the browser will understand and load the required part of the info.

Commonly there are four informational responses:

1. Continue

2. Switching Protocols

3. Processing

4. Early Hints

The most common error codes are:

100 - Continue - the server expects or asks the client to continue to the next step.  The next step will be continue by the client wish.

101 - Switching Protocols - the server understands the upgrade header field request and indicates, to which protocol it is switching.  The switching protocol is a status code that is used for a server to indicate that the TCP connection is about to be used for a different protocol.  The switching or the upgraded protocol is websocket.

102 - Processing - Uncommon status code.  Whenever the server sends back this status code, it informs a client that the full request has been received and the server is working on it. Then the real status code will reflect soon.

103 -Early Hints - An experimental status code.  It can be used by a server to send headers to a client defensively or intermediary. Whenever the client receives these headers, it might immediately start fetching those resources as the HTML document using them. Right now Node.js does not support this error code.

2. Success responses

Success response means the request is successful, but the meaning of success depends on the request method used - GET, HEAD, POST or PUT, TRACE.

Particularly the success response number 226 IM means the server has successfully  received the GET request for the resource.  And then the response is a representation of the result of one or multiple instance-manipulation that are applied to the current instance.

3. Redirection Response

Redirection response means this request require further action for completion.  One more thing, this response is not harmful.  In fact, it's a response after the completion of its previous response 2xx.  

These codes tell the browser to take additional action to complete the request.  The status code 3xx indicates that a particular page or document (attached linked file) has been moved.  And the response will also include a list of new locations so the browser can pick a place to redirect to. So its total process is to redirect.

4. Client Response

Client response status code is intended for situations in which the error seems to have been caused by the browser or the user.  Particularly this type of error code means the website or the page could not be reached and either the page is unavailable or the request contain bad syntax or the request cannot be fulfilled.

5. Server response

This error code code comes when the request is unable to be completed due to a server overload.  In other words, the server might have encountered an error and was unable to perform the client request.

To Wrap Up

HTTP status codes are like a secret language that your website uses to communicate with you and your visitors.

HTTP status codes may seem confusing at first, but understanding them is crucial for any website owner.

By familiarizing yourself with the 5 types of HTTP status codes and their meanings, you can troubleshoot issues quickly and keep your site running smoothly for your visitors.

With our experts on your side, you can decode the messages behind HTTP status codes, fix any issues that arise, and boost your website's Google ranking to attract more visitors than ever before.

Contact us today for a free consultation.

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