The Concept of a Web Application

Introduction to a web application

There are many kinds of applications, including mobile applications, desktop applications, and web applications. A web application is accessed from the web and can be used on many devices connected to the internet, like mobile devices, personal computers (PC), and other devices. There are two main components in web applications, client and server.

Client

The client is a device or an entity that accesses the web application. The client types can include mobile devices, personal computers (PC), and more. The client usually accesses the web application through a web browser like Chrome, Firefox, or others.

Server

The server is a device that provides a web application. The server can be publicly or privately accessed by specific companies or users. The server type can vary, including a dedicated server in a data center, a cloud server, and a virtual private server (VPS).

Below is an illustration of how web applications work.

As seen in the image above, the client sends requests to the server for specific information or resources needed by the client. Then, the server sends the response back to the client. The response form can vary, including web pages, resources, and more. If the request is invalid or failed, the server still sends a failed response to the client to communicate that the request is unsuccessful.