The early web era was characterized by Multi-Page Applications (MPAs), where
each user interaction typically resulted in a full page reload. This approach
laid the foundation for web development and network management as we know it
today. In MPAs, the server was responsible for rendering the entire HTML for
each page, and navigation between pages required fetching a completely new
document from the server.
Key aspects of early web development included server-side rendering of HTML,
full page reloads for navigation, and form submissions that resulted in server
responses. The POST-Redirect-GET pattern emerged as a common solution to handle
form submissions and prevent duplicate submissions. While this approach had
limitations in terms of user experience and performance, it provided a
straightforward and robust method for building web applications.
Understanding these early web concepts is crucial for appreciating the
evolution of web development and the advancements that have led to modern
techniques like Single-Page Applications (SPAs) and React Server Components
(RSCs).