Downloadable Standards Documents

The great thing about standards is that you can have so many of them...

HTML & HTTP
Other Internet Standards
System Modeling

HTML & HTTP

The best source of information about HTML and HTTP related standards is the World Wide Web Consortium site. Here are some of the more popular standards and reference documents:

The HTML 4.0 specification in PDF format (2.9 MB)
The HTML 3.2 recommendation in HTML format.
The HTTP 1.1 RFC 2616 in html format.
The HTTP Authentication: Basic and Digest Access Authentication RFC 2617 in HTML format.
The Cookies 3.11 draft describes the latest thinking on this “HTTP State Management Mechanism.”
Pipelining can increase HTTP performance significantly. This paper takes a fascinating look at how small changes in a networked system create huge differences in performance. The results are a powerful demonstration of how difficult it is to predict system performance and how important it is to perform tests. Highly recommended.

Visit the Web Design Book Reviews page for recommended books on Web design.

Visit the HTML Book Reviews page for recommended books on HTML.

Visit the Internet Standards Links page for more Internet standards and resources.

Other Internet Standards

RFCs (Request For Comment) specify exactly how software on the Internet should work. RFCs are not light reading but are indispensable if you’re doing Internet programming. Current RFCs are on the RFC Editor site, but they may prove hard to find. Yahoo has a powerful and easy-to-use RFC page. Here are some of the most useful RFCs and Internet drafts in text format:

RFC 2196: The Site Security Handbook. This informational RFC provides guidance on developing security policies and procedures for your site.
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is the most widely used network management framework on IP networks. There are dozens of RFCs and drafts relating to SNMP. The following provide a good overview:
RFC 1939: The Post Office Protocol - Version 3 (POP3)
RFC 821: The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
RFC 822: The Standard for the Format of ARPA Internet Text Messages. Huh? This RFC describes how to construct email headers.
RFC 854: The Telnet Protocol Specification.
RFC 959: File Transfer Protocol (FTP) - Version 3.
RFC 1738: Little known secrets about Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)
RFC 2200: A map to the Internet Official Protocol Standards process and to key RFCs.
RFC 1700: Current Assigned Numbers for a range of existing protocols.
RFC 1122: Requirements for Internet Hosts -- Communication Layers.
RFC 1123: Requirements for Internet Hosts -- Application and Support.

System Modeling

Models are like schematics or blueprints for software. There are many competing standards for describing systems and databases. The IDEF standards are widely used in government and industry, and supported by popular CASE tools.

The IDEF0 standard defines a graphical system for describing systems and enterprises. A strength of IDEF0 is that it describes systems as a series of businesses processes without making any assumptions about computerization. (528K).
The IDEF1X standard defines a graphical system for describing databases. IDEF1X models emphasize data normalization and clarity. (1MB).

Visit the Database Design Book Review page for recommended books on database design.