HTML itself is not a protocol. Instead, HTML is the markup language used to structure the content of web pages. Protocols, however, are the rules governing how data is transmitted between computers. When discussing protocols in the context of HTML, we're usually referring to the protocol specified in a URL's href attribute within an HTML <a> (anchor) tag.
This protocol dictates how the browser retrieves the linked resource. Common examples include:
http(Hypertext Transfer Protocol): The most common protocol for web pages. It defines how web browsers and servers communicate to transfer web pages and other resources.https(Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure): A secure version of HTTP, using encryption to protect data transmitted between the browser and server.ftp(File Transfer Protocol): Used for transferring files between computers.mailto: Used for creating email links.file: Used for linking to files on the local file system.
The protocol property in JavaScript, when applied to an <area> element (used for clickable regions within an image map), retrieves the protocol portion of the href attribute. This provides a way to programmatically access and potentially manipulate the protocol of a link within an HTML element. For example, if the href attribute is "https://www.example.com/page.html", the protocol property would return "https:".
The crucial point is to understand the difference: HTML structures content, while protocols define how that content (or other data) gets transferred across a network.
