Browser (Client)
I hope you know what a browser is because you are looking at one right now.
When you enter an URL or click on a link, your web browser requests the website from a server, which sends it back in response. This is comparable to a customer ordering food in a restaurant and the waiter returning the requested food. So, the browser has the role of the customer, or client, to use the correct technical term.
However, the term client is sometimes used in a broader sense.
For example, it could mean the device that requests a website or another resource from a server, such as a laptop or smartphone. Another example would be a low-performance PC – a so called thin client – that connects to a server for doing the heavy work. Yet another example is an email program such as Outlook or Thunderbird that requests emails from an email server. In summary, the terms client (and server) are a bit vague and it depends on the context what is meant.
The visitors of your website might use all kinds of browsers. Depending on the used browser a visitor might have a different experience. So, you should be aware of these browser differences to create a solid experience for all your users.
Here are the most important aspects about browsers:
- Browser Compatibility: Websites should be tested on various browsers to ensure that they work correctly on all of them.
- Web Standards: A group of people defines new features that browser vendors should build into their browser.
- Developer Tools: These tools allow you to inspect the building blocks of a web page. You can also analyze the performance to improve the loading time for your users.
- If you want to understand browser differences in-depth, you can take a closer look at browser engines.
Sometimes a web browser or email client might be referred to as an user agent.