HTTP/2 is the latest version of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which is the protocol that is used to transfer data over the web. HTTP/2 is an evolution of the previous version of HTTP, HTTP/1.1, and it was designed to improve the performance, security, and reliability of the web.
One of the main goals of HTTP/2 is to reduce the amount of time it takes for web pages to load, which is known as "latency." HTTP/2 accomplishes this by introducing several new features and techniques, such as multiplexing, header compression, and server push.
Multiplexing is a technique that allows multiple requests and responses to be sent over a single connection simultaneously, which can greatly reduce the amount of time it takes for a web page to load. Header compression is another technique that reduces the amount of data that needs to be transferred over the network, which can also improve performance.
Server push is a new feature of HTTP/2 that allows a server to proactively send data to a client without waiting for a request. This can be useful in situations where a server knows that a client will need certain data, and it can help reduce the number of round trips that are required to load a web page.
Additionally, HTTP/2 is also more secure than its predecessor, as it uses encrypted connections by default. This can help protect against network-level attacks, such as man-in-the-middle attacks, and it can help ensure that data is kept private as it is transferred over the web.
The next version of HTTP is expected to be HTTP/3, which is currently in development. It is likely to be based on the QUIC protocol, which is a new transport protocol that is designed to improve upon the performance, security, and reliability of existing transport protocols. It is not yet clear what specific features and improvements HTTP/3 will include, as it is still in development.