HTTP GET Request Message

An HTTP GET Request Message is an HTTP request message that requests a HTTP GET method (requests data from a specified resource).

Context:
- It can (typically) be included in the URL of the request.
- It can (typically) remain in the browser history.
- It can (typically) have length restrictions.
- It can be cached.
- It can be bookmarked.
- It can be visible to others (so should never be used when dealing with sensitive data).
- …
Example(s):
- http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=test%20query&index=blended&link_code=qs&sourceid=Mozilla-search&tag=mozilla-20
- one for Retrieving web pages and other resources from web servers.
- one for submitting web forms.
- one for Providing access to image files and other static resources.
- one for Sending data to a server for processing or storage (e.g. for a search query or order submission).
- one for Requesting data from a server for immediate use (e.g. to check a user's permissions).
- one for Tracking the activities of web users by sending tracking information as URL parameters.
- …
Counter-Example(s):
- a HEAD Request, which only returns HTTP headers and no document body
- a HTTP POST Request, which submits data to be processed to a specified resource
See: HTTP URL Query String, Idempotence, HTTP Response, Web Resource, Form (HTML), Data Retrieval Message.

References

(Wikipedia, 2013) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertext_Transfer_Protocol#Request_methods Retrieved:2013-12-19.
- … GET: Requests a representation of the specified resource. Requests using GET should only retrieve data and should have no other effect. (This is also true of some other HTTP methods.) The W3C has published guidance principles on this distinction, saying, “Web application design should be informed by the above principles, but also by the relevant limitations."