How was the 'about:' function of the web browser born?

A number of web browsers, such as Internet Explorer , Microsoft Edge , Mozilla Firefox , Google Chrome, etc., have the function of viewing the setting screen and various statuses by entering a character string beginning with " about: ". Mr. Lou Montouri , who had been engaged in the development of web browsers at the dawn of the Internet, has made clear on his site how this "about:" was introduced in the browser.

The short history of the "about:" URL - www
http://www.montulli.org/lou/about_urls

In the early 1990s Mr. Monturi was involved in the development of Version 1.0 of Netscape Navigator . Since we could add arbitrary prefixes to the format of URLs that can be handled by Netscape Navigator, Mr. Monturi secretly set up a new prefix called "about" from a little sense of rewarding and can read HTML block with URL starting from "about:" I made a framework.

Some of the original 'about:' features Mr. Monturi has charged in version 1.0 of Netscape Navigator has been inherited by Firefox. For example, if you enter "about: mozilla" in Firefox's address bar, you will see the following screen. This is a passage of a scripture to be used in a fictitious religion which is the muscular character Mozilla.

Originally, the Mozilla Foundation , which develops Firefox, is an organization formed in a form separated from Netscape Communications , and Mozilla is a mascot character inherited from Netscape Communications. From this background, this "pseudo religious joke" Easter egg has been handed over to Firefox as it is.

by Fred

In addition, in version 1.0 of Netscape Navigator, it seems that URLs starting with "about:" were prepared for all development staff. For example, Mr. Monturi's command "about: montulli" seems to display pages randomly from history as you type. However, Mr. Monturi says that I do not know at all what I felt interesting in that function of that function. Since "about: montulli" has not been carried over to Firefox, it can not be used now.

The "about: blank" displayed on a blank page is a command added from Netscape 2.0 as a way to prevent the browser from loading the URL, since there is no way to display an empty page in the browser until then. From the practical "about:" such as "about: config", "abaout: cache", "about: history" and so on by inputting it into the address bar so that browser setting screen, memory cache, history can be displayed A URL that began has been implemented.

"About:" function was originally added with a little mischief of development staff, but now it is "a must-have function that is indispensable", not only Firefox, Internet Explorer and Google Chrome Other "" about: "functions are also installed in other browsers.