1. The prefix http://

2. The name of the host computer

3. The directory path on the host computer

4. The filename itself

http://

www.mcdougallittell.com/

lit/

idiom.htm

http stands for hypertext transfer protocol. Followed by a colon and two slashes, this prefix tells your computer that the document you seek is found on the Web.

Also known as the domain name, this is the part of the address that identifies a specific computer on the Internet. The example identifies McDougal Littell's (mcdougallittell) commercial (.com) site on the World Wide Web (www).

The third component identifies the directory. Some URLs contain several subdirectories, separated by slashes. The example identifies a directory on the McDougal Littell site called Literature (lit).

At last you arrive at the desired file, or Web page. The example calls up the idiom file (idiom.htm), which is the introductory page to an activity for students called Idiom of the Week.