Lectures On:

Web Browsers

��Department of �Computer Science and Engineering�www.cse.ugv.edu.bd, 874/322, C&B Road, Barisal, Bangladesh.� 

University of Global Village (UGV)

Barishal, Bangladesh

​

Lectures By��Md. Tariqul Islam�Lecturer & Coordinator

�Mobile: +880-1842733104 �Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com�Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Index / Table of Contents

• Learning Outcomes
• What is a Browser?
• How Browsers Work (HTTP/HTTPS)
• History Timeline
• Types of Browsers
• Common Features Overview
• Address Bar & URL Navigation (Steps)
• Back/Forward/Refresh/Stop (Steps)
• Tabs: New Tab (Steps)
• Tabs: Tab Groups (Steps)
• Tabs: Switch Tabs (Shortcuts)
• Tabs: Reopen Closed Tab (Steps)
• Private/Incognito Mode (Steps)
• Bookmarks: Add & Bar (Steps)
• Bookmarks: Organize Folders (Steps)
• Bookmarks: Export (Steps)
• Bookmarks: Import (Steps)
• Sync Across Devices (Steps)
• Startup: Open Specific Page (Steps)
• Downloads: Find & Location (Steps)
• Find in Page / Easy Text Search (Steps)
• Images: Copy/Save (Steps)
• Create Desktop Shortcut / App (Steps)
• Share: Make QR Code for Page (Steps)
• Browser Task Manager (Steps)
• Advanced: chrome://flags (Caution)
• Extensions: Overview & Safety
• Extensions: Install from Web Store (Steps)
• Recommended Extensions
• Security & Privacy Basics
• Clear Browsing Data (Steps)
• Comparison of Popular Browsers
• Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet
• Troubleshooting Tips
• Q&A / Thank You

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Learning Outcomes

• Define what a web browser is and how it works.
• Explain major milestones in web browser history.
• Use core features: tabs, bookmarks, search, downloads.
• Configure privacy, security, and startup options.
• Install/manage extensions safely.
• Apply hidden/advanced options to be more productive.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

What is a Browser:

• A browser is an application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the World Wide Web.
• This includes Web pages, videos and images.
• The word "browser" originated prior to the Web as a generic term for user interfaces that let you browse (navigate through and read) text files online.
• Many people will use web browsers today for access to the internet and is seen almost as a necessity in how many navigate their daily life.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

What is a Browser?

• An application to access and interact with content on the World Wide Web.
• Displays web pages, images, videos, and documents.
• Client program that requests resources from web servers on your behalf.
• Often supports multiple Internet protocols (HTTP/HTTPS, FTP).

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

How Browsers Work (HTTP/HTTPS)

• Client–Server Model
• You (client) request a page; server responds with HTML/CSS/JS.
• Browser renders the content and runs scripts.
• HTTP vs HTTPS
• HTTPS = encrypted connection (padlock icon).
• Protects data from eavesdropping and tampering.
• Key Components
• Rendering engine, JavaScript engine, networking, storage, extensions.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Web Browser History

• The first Web browser, called WorldWideWeb, was created in 1990.
• That browser's name was changed to Nexus to avoid confusion with the developing information space known as the World Wide Web.
• The first Web browser with a graphical user interface was Mosaic, which appeared in 1993.
• Many of the user interface features in Mosaic went into Netscape Navigator. Microsoft followed with its Internet Explorer (IE).

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Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Web Browser History (Timeline)

• 1990: WorldWideWeb (later renamed Nexus).
• 1993: Mosaic – first widely-used graphical browser.
• 1994: Netscape Navigator – popular commercial browser.
• 1995: Internet Explorer (Microsoft).
• 2003: Safari (Apple). 2004: Mozilla Firefox.
• 2008: Google Chrome – speed, sandboxing, extensions.
• 2015: Microsoft Edge – modern replacement for IE.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Types of Browsers

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Types of Browsers

• Text-based
• Lynx
• Graphical (Desktop)
• Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
• Mobile
• Chrome Mobile, Safari iOS, Opera Mini
• Privacy/Specialized
• Tor Browser, Brave

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Text-based

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Graphical (Desktop)

Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Graphical (Mobile)

Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Privacy/Specialized�

Tor Browser Brave

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Common Browser Features (Overview)

• Home button, Address bar (URL), Back/Forward.
• Refresh/Reload and Stop loading.
• Tabs in a single window; Downloads manager.
• Bookmarks/Favorites and History.
• Settings (appearance, default search, language).

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Address Bar (URL Bar / Omnibox)

• - **Purpose:** Navigate to a specific website or webpage.
• - **Input:** URL (Uniform Resource Locator), e.g., https://www.wikipedia.org
• - **Behavior:**
• • Directly takes you to the website you typed.
• • Can also show some search results if typed text is not a valid URL.
• - **Location:** Usually at the top of the browser window.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Search Bar

• - **Purpose:** Search for information on a search engine (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc.).
• - **Input:** Keywords or phrases, e.g., History of web browsers
• - **Behavior:** Sends your query to the default search engine and returns results.
• - **Location:** Sometimes a separate box next to the address bar.
• - Modern browsers often combine the search bar and address bar into one 'Omnibox.'

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Key Differences

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Search Bar vs Address Bar

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Address Bar & URL Navigation — Step-by-Step

• Click the address bar (or press Ctrl+L).
• Type a URL (e.g., https://example.com) or a search term.
• Press Enter to load the page.
• Use the padlock icon to view site information and permissions.
• To copy a link: select the address and press Ctrl+C.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Back, Forward, Refresh & Stop — Step-by-Step

• Back: Go to the previous page (Alt+Left).
• Forward: Go to the next page (Alt+Right).
• Refresh/Reload: Reload the current page (Ctrl+R or F5).
• Hard Refresh: Ctrl+Shift+R (bypass some cache).
• Stop: Click the X in the address bar while loading.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Tabs: Open a New Tab — Step-by-Step

• Click the + icon next to the last tab.
• Or press Ctrl+T to open a new tab.
• Middle-click a link to open it in a new tab in the background.
• Close a tab: click the X on the tab or press Ctrl+W.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Tabs: Create & Use Tab Groups — Step-by-Step

• Right-click a tab and select “Add tab to new group”.
• Name the group and choose a color.
• Drag other tabs into the group to organize.
• Click the group name to collapse/expand grouped tabs.
• Right-click group to ungroup or close all tabs in the group.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Tabs: Switch Between Tabs (Shortcuts)

• Ctrl+Tab: next tab; Ctrl+Shift+Tab: previous tab.
• Ctrl+1..8: jump to tab position 1–8; Ctrl+9: last tab.
• Hold Ctrl and click a tab to duplicate (in some browsers: right-click → Duplicate).

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Tabs: Reopen a Closed Tab — Step-by-Step

• Right-click the tab bar and choose “Reopen closed tab”.
• Or press Ctrl+Shift+T to reopen the most recently closed tab.
• Repeat Ctrl+Shift+T to restore multiple recently closed tabs.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Private / Incognito Mode — Step-by-Step

• Open menu (⋮ or ☰) → New Incognito/Private window.
• Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+N (Chrome/Edge) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Firefox).
• In private mode, history, cookies, and site data aren’t saved after closing.
• Downloads and bookmarks you create are still kept.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Bookmarks: Add & Use the Bookmark Bar — Steps

• At a page you want to save, press Ctrl+D to bookmark.
• Choose a folder and click Done.
• Show the Bookmark Bar: Settings → Appearance → Show bookmarks bar.
• Drag bookmarks onto the bar for quick access.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Bookmarks: Organize with Folders — Step-by-Step

• Open Bookmark Manager (Ctrl+Shift+O in Chrome).
• Click “⋮” → Add new folder; name it by topic/course.
• Drag and drop bookmarks into folders.
• Right-click to rename, delete, or sort.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Bookmarks: Export — Step-by-Step

• Open Bookmark Manager.
• Click “⋮” (three-dots) in the manager.
• Select “Export bookmarks”.
• Save the .html file to your preferred location.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Bookmarks: Import — Step-by-Step

• Open Bookmark Manager.
• Click “⋮” (three-dots) in the manager.
• Select “Import bookmarks”.
• Choose your exported .html file and import.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Sync Across Devices — Step-by-Step

• Open menu → Settings → “Turn on sync” (Chrome) / “Sign in” (Firefox/Edge).
• Sign in with your browser account (Google/Mozilla/Microsoft).
• Choose what to sync: bookmarks, history, passwords, extensions, etc.
• Repeat on your other device to keep data in sync.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Startup: Open Specific Page — Step-by-Step

• Open menu → Settings → On startup.
• Choose “Open a specific page or set of pages”.
• Click “Add a new page” and enter the URL (e.g., your LMS).
• Add multiple pages if needed.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Downloads: Find Files & Change Location — Steps

• Open Downloads: Ctrl+J or menu → Downloads.
• Click “Open in folder” to locate a file.
• Change default location: Settings → Downloads → Location → Change.
• Enable “Ask where to save each file” if you prefer.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Find in Page / Easy Text Search — Step-by-Step

• Press Ctrl+F to open the find box.
• Type a word or phrase to highlight matches on the page.
• Use Enter/Shift+Enter to move between matches.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Images: Copy or Save — Step-by-Step

• Right-click an image and choose “Copy image” to paste elsewhere.
• Choose “Save image as…” to download the picture.
• Respect copyright and licensing when reusing images.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Create Desktop Shortcut / Install Site as App — Steps

• Open the website you use frequently.
• Menu → More tools → Create shortcut… (Chrome) or Apps → Install this site as an app.
• Name the shortcut/app and confirm.
• Launch it from Desktop/Start menu like a regular app.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Share: Make a QR Code for the Page — Steps

• Click the share icon in the address bar (Chrome/Edge).
• Choose “Create QR code” (Chrome) or “Share → QR code”.
• Download or scan the QR to open the page on another device.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Browser Task Manager — Step-by-Step

• Open Task Manager: Shift+Esc (Chrome/Edge).
• View memory, CPU, and network per tab/extension.
• Select a heavy task and click “End process” if needed.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Advanced: chrome://flags — Use with Caution

• Type chrome://flags in the address bar (Chrome only).
• Search for an experimental feature and set to Enabled/Disabled.
• Click “Relaunch” to apply changes.
• Reset all to default if something breaks.
• Warning: Flags are experimental and may cause instability.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Extensions (Add-ons): Overview & Safety

• Extensions add features (grammar, reading, productivity, blocking).
• Only install from trusted stores (Chrome Web Store, Add-ons).
• Check ratings, reviews, and requested permissions.
• Remove or disable extensions you don't use.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Install an Extension from the Web Store — Steps

• Open the browser’s extension store (e.g., Chrome Web Store).
• Search for the extension name (e.g., Grammarly, Unhook).
• Open its page to review description, screenshots, permissions.
• Click “Add to Chrome/Firefox/Edge” and confirm.
• Manage it via menu → Extensions/Add-ons.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Recommended Extensions (Examples)

• Productivity
• Grammarly – writing assistant
• Clearly Reader – simplified reading
• Readme – reading/productivity
• Focus
• Unhook for YouTube – declutter recommendations
• Privacy/Security
• uBlock Origin – content blocker
• HTTPS Everywhere (legacy in some browsers)

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Security & Privacy Basics

• Look for HTTPS padlock; avoid entering passwords on HTTP pages.
• Click padlock → Site settings to control permissions (camera, mic, notifications).
• Use strong, unique passwords (built-in manager or a trusted manager).
• Beware of suspicious pop-ups and downloads.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Clear Browsing Data — Step-by-Step

• Menu → Settings → Privacy & security → Clear browsing data.
• Choose Time range (e.g., Last hour, All time).
• Select items to clear: history, cookies, cached images/files.
• Click Clear data; restart the browser if needed.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Comparison of Popular Browsers (Quick View)

• Chrome
• Fast, large extension ecosystem
• Can use more RAM
• Firefox
• Privacy-friendly, customizable
• Slightly fewer sites optimize for it
• Safari
• Great on Apple devices
• Not available for modern Windows versions
• Edge
• Integrated with Windows, good performance
• Some features tied to Microsoft services
• Brave
• Privacy-first with built-in blocking
• Smaller user base

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Keyboard Shortcuts (Cheat Sheet)

• New tab: Ctrl+T | Close tab: Ctrl+W | Reopen: Ctrl+Shift+T
• Switch tabs: Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab
• Address bar: Ctrl+L | Refresh: Ctrl+R (F5) | Hard refresh: Ctrl+Shift+R
• Private window: Ctrl+Shift+N (Chrome/Edge) / Ctrl+Shift+P (Firefox)
• Downloads: Ctrl+J | Find in page: Ctrl+F

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Troubleshooting Tips

• If a page won’t load: refresh or try hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R).
• Open in private window to test without extensions/cookies.
• Disable suspicious extensions; restart the browser.
• Clear cache/cookies if sites behave strangely.
• Update browser to the latest version.

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

Thank You

• Questions?
• Instructor: (Add your name/affiliation)
• Class: (Course/Section)

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd

“Thank You”

Lectures By Md. Tariqul Islam, Lecturer & Coordinator, Dept. of CSE, UGV, Email: tariq.ugv@gmail.com, Web: www.tariqul.ugv.edu.bd