Detailed Explanation of Nginx Configuration Files: Server Block and Location for Beginners

The core of Nginx configuration lies in Server blocks (virtual hosts) and location blocks (path distribution). The main configuration file (nginx.conf) includes the global context (with directives like worker_processes), the events context (with worker_connections), and the http context (which contains multiple Server blocks). A Server block defines a website using directives such as listen (port), server_name (domain name), root (root directory), and index (homepage). Location blocks match requests based on paths, supporting prefix, exact, regular expression, and other types, with priority order: exact match > prefix with ^~ > ordinary prefix > regular expression > default. After configuration, use `nginx -t` to verify syntax and `nginx -s reload` to apply changes. After mastering basic configurations (port, domain name, static path), beginners can progressively learn advanced features like dynamic request forwarding and caching.