Web Browser Bahavior Q?

[Ichinisan]

I understand that, when a file is not specified at the end of a URL, a web browser will automatically download "index.htm" or "index.html"

However, I recently built a petition using www.petitiononline.com and noticed that I could type the URL differently than the one I was instructed to link to:
www.petitiononline.com/npc/petition.html
http://www.petitiononline.com/npc/

I assumed that the browser must have been downloading "index.htm" or "index.html", but neither work when manually specified at the end of the URL.

I'm just wondering how the browser knows to download "petition.html"...does it do a directory-listing and download the first HTML file it finds? I didn't think HTML had that capability.

 

[Nothinman]

I understand that, when a file is not specified at the end of a URL, a web browser will automatically download "index.htm" or "index.html"

You misunderstand. It's the webserver that decides what file is provided when one isn't specified.

 

[CZroe]

Ah, thanks for clearing that up.