Let’s think it through · Start with a story
A girl wants to check the score of a robot competition. Following one request from start to finish shows what each step does.
Break down the process
- Prepare a requestSpecify the competition ID
- Transmit itSend it to the service
- Process itRead the authorized score
- Return and displayThe client presents the result
A network request starts with clear input and ends when its response is received and used correctly.
The server should check parameters and permissions before handling the query. The client should distinguish success, errors, and timeouts, then show an appropriate status.
Some requests change data. Before retrying one, consider whether it might run twice—“send it again” is not always harmless.
Your turn
If a request times out, does that prove the server did not process it?
Have an answer? Click to see the explanation
No. The server may have finished, but the response may not have arrived. Operations that change data need safeguards against duplicate processing.
Takeaway
A network request starts with clear input and ends when its response is received and used correctly.
Try covering the diagram and explaining each step to someone at home. If a step is hard to explain, go back and look at that card again.