CONCEPT 01 / COMMUNICATION
Communication protocols
THE KEY CONCEPT
A protocol is a shared set of rules that allows devices to exchange data and communicate with one another.
How it works
Whether devices are across a room or across the world, they need an agreed way to format, send, receive, and interpret data. A network protocol defines those rules.
Protocols are not programming languages. Languages such as Python or C can be used to write software that implements a protocol. The protocol is the communication rule set that the software follows.
For example, HTTP defines communication between web browsers and web servers. TCP helps deliver a reliable stream of data between devices.
Remember this
Different devices. Shared rules. Successful communication.