Chapter 10. Where HTTP goes from here
This chapter covers
- Controversies of HTTP/2
- HTTP/2 use since launch
- Extending HTTP beyond HTTP/2
- HTTP as a more generic transport layer
The HTTP/2 specification was formally approved in May 2015, nearly 20 years after HTTP/1.0 was introduced and quickly replaced by HTTP/1.1. During this time, the internet has become an integral part of everyone’s life, and the fact that HTTP/1.1 has lasted so well speaks volumes about the protocol. For a long time, however, the protocol stalled, and attempts to move it forward failed,[1] were limited to more accurately documenting HTTP/1.1, or added limited new functionality through HTTP headers.
Now that HTTP/2 is here and rapidly being rolled out across the internet,[2] where does HTTP go from here? How has HTTP/2 fared in the real world? Are the major problems with HTTP now solved? Will it be 20 years before the next major innovation of the protocol, or is a new phase of innovation in the internet leading to a much greater rate of change? This chapter attempts to answer these questions and make some educated guesses about how HTTP will evolve.