When a web server tells the client browser to obtain a
certain requested page from a different location. This is
controlled by directives in the server's configuration files
or a "Location: header output by a CGI script.
The web server stores all its documents in a directory tree
rooted at some configured directory, known as its "document
root". Normally the URI part of the URL (the part after
the hostname) is used as a relative path from the document
root to the desired file or directory. A redirect directive
allows the server administrator to specify exceptions to this
general mapping from URL to file name by telling the browser
"try this URL instead". The new URL may be on the same server
or a different one and may itself be subject to redirection.
The user is normally unaware of this process except that it
may introduce extra delay while the browser sends the new
request and the browser will usually display the new URL
rather than the one the user originally requested.
(1997-07-15)
Nearby terms:
URI « URL « URL forwarding « URL redirection » URN » URouLette » US
