To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Is the difference between URI and URL in Java that the former doesn't encode spaces? Comparison Chart; Definition; Key Differences; Conclusion A Uniform Resource Name (URN) is a URI that identifies a resource by name in a particular namespace. But a resource is more general (it can be also some file stored in a jar, or some data to be read from the network, or from memory, or...). Remember in Java a File object does not really represents "a file" but the location (the full name, with path) of a file. URI and URL are differ by the protocol to retrieve the resource. (There is no Resource class in Java to represent a resource, but neither there is one to represent a file! URL is the subset of URI. URI with its subset URN uniquely identifies the resources e.g. URL on the other hand is really a resource locator and offers you features to actually read the resource via registered URLStreamHandlers. Can someone please walk me through the differences, or provide a few links to Dummy-proof material? A resource can be something as simple as a file or a directory, or it can be a reference to a more complicated object, such as a query to a database or to a search engine. ), and the ability to search and manipulate the local file system. ;). I'll answer your other, specific questions after that, because I may have to refer to something in the first part. I'm looking at a piece of Java code right now, and it takes a path as a String and gets its URL using URL resource = ClassLoader.getSystemClassLoader().getResource(pathAsString);, then calls String path = resource.getPath() and finally executes new File(path);. your coworkers to find and share information. ), Sorry if this question is a bit unorganized; it just reflects the confusion I have... :). But URIs can also contain things like "mailto:", so they are also, well some what of a "script" I'd say. UPDATE 2017-04-12 Check JvR's answer as it contains more exhaustive and exact explanation! Because URL and URI are/were not the same thing, a new class was introduced to represent them, with methods URI.toURL and URL.toURI to move between one and the other. No, there isn't. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Just going through it, but already have the first follow-up question: When you say a File "contains only the name of the file", don't you contradict your initial statement that it's "An abstract representation of file and directory pathnames" - i.e.more? (And is there a Resource object? The terminology is confusing and sometimes befuddling, and mostly born from the evolution both of Java as an API and as a platform over time. As I understand them, you could categorize them as following: It would be easier if they would be merged into one class - they are really confusing :D, (I just took a look at the documentation - look at docs.oracle.com). rev 2020.10.23.37878, Stack Overflow works best with JavaScript enabled, Where developers & technologists share private knowledge with coworkers, Programming & related technical career opportunities, Recruit tech talent & build your employer brand, Reach developers & technologists worldwide, @eckes One headache at a time, please. Your definition of "path" does NOT correspond to the concept of "path" in the OP context. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Service. Also be aware that that URL#getFile is unrelated to java.io.File. In contrast, URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) is used to define an item’s identity here the word identifier means to distinguish one resource from other regardless of the method used (URL or URN). Wow, very thorough. URLs: An URL is a definite location on the internt (just a normal webaddress like - stackoverflow.com). The "abstract representation" part is quoted from the API docs. Does an AME's advertisement on the back of the medical certificate affect the document's validity under the FAA? path an file strings) differ? The reason is that the URL's. Unfortunately, because "resource" is also a useful generic term outside of this interpretation, it is also used to name very specific things (e.g. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. URL uses a network protocol e.g. There are many things named like it, but they are not a resource in the sense of ClassLoader.getResource. I would note that this code is unlikely to work as intended. Classloader resources are not represented as files as they can have different origins (or be nested in JAR files). Is THHN rated for Wet Locations the same thing? once more : File is not a file, it's the path of a file). Key Differences between URI and URL You don't need File if you have access to Path. URL specifies, what type of protocol is to be used whereas URI doesn’t involve the protocol specification. It could be an entry in a ZIP file, a file reachable through FTP or SSH-FS, a multi-rooted representation of the application classpath, or really anything that can be meaningfully represented through the FileSystem interface and its driver, FileSystemProvider. Bash arithmetic outputs result in decimal, Ubuntu 20.4 unable to locate a package which can be listed by pressing tab for autocomplete. What is this oddly shaped hinged device with indentations? If the jar file is on the local file system, you should not have a query component, so URL.getPath and URL.getFile should return the same result. An abstract, generic piece of data that can be located and read. You see, a URI can be a name, locator, or both for an online resource where a URL is just the locator. An abstract representation of file and directory pathnames. An object that may be used to locate a file in a file system. Please note that I do not consider myself 100% competent to answer, but nevertheless here are some comments: In Java, URI is just a data structure for manipulating the generic identifier itself. Stack Overflow for Teams is a private, secure spot for you and Unlikely. URI provides a technique for defining the identity of an item. URLs can lead to file-system resources and you can construct URL for every file system resource by using file:// protocol (hence File <-> URL relation). The getFile and getPath methods deal with the components of an URL which are (confusingly) named like file objects. site design / logo © 2020 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. Only if you want to pass the resource to some component which can work only with files, you need to get File from it. So, a File object allows you to locate (and open) a file, as a URLallows you to access (and open) a resource. @kibibyte: I would expect the call to be blocking, to have an asynchronous implementation of hashcode and equals now that would be very unsettling. Is youtube-dl takedown due to their tests which use copyrighted content? Temperature change in Earth atmosphere models? Class URL represents a Uniform Resource Locator, a pointer to a "resource" on the World Wide Web. URLs are a subset of URIs. Note that File doesn't need to point to something local, just something that the host platform understands in the context of file access, e.g. URL might not be enough because File gives you access to housekeeping data such as permissions (readable, writable, executable), file type (am I a directory? Why does T S Eliot use "he do" in The Rum Tum Tugger? resource.toString() would give you jar:file:/C:/path/to/my.jar!/com/example/, after all (note the exclamation mark). The host platform is represented through the "default file system"; when you call File.toPath, you get a Path on the default file system. A path is generally a string indicating the location of a file within a file system. A URL is a URI, but a URI can never be a URL. Difference between StringBuilder and StringBuffer. class ResourceBundle, UIResource, Resource) that are not, in this sense, a resource. Unfortunately, URLs come with their own syntax and terminology, including the use of "file" and "path". Why do I need File object; why isn't a Resource (URL) enough? A resource in Java is an abstract concept, a source of data that can be read. URLs and URNs. What is URI. Spring's Resource). URI is more common term as compared to URL and URN which are more limited in a sense. What's the difference between a Resource, URI, URL, Path and File in Java? What is the maximum length of a URL in different browsers? It will typically represent a system dependent file path. URIs: Ever URL is an URI. A URI may refer to a web page, a book, or a document. URL vs. URI vs. URN, What’s the difference / examples. Classes like URL generally wrap the string and provide utility methods that String would have no reason to supply. It's used to modify files, open them etc. URI vs URL vs URN? The URL and URI can be differentiated with the fact that URI can represent the URL and the URN of the resource at the same time, but URL just can specify the address of the resource. a UNC path in Windows. The location (or address) of a resource is represented in Java by a URL object. Files, URIs, and URLs conflicting in Java, The Overflow #44: Machine learning in production. What's the difference between a proxy server and a reverse proxy server? URLs are a type of URI because they allow you to identify a particular resource on the web. Now, if I have a locator that references a class or package in a jar file, will those two (i.e. The difference between URI and URL is conceptual and mostly academic, but URI is better defined in a formal sense, and covers a wider range of use cases. What's the difference between url.getFile() and getpath()? What's the logic behind dividing rental price of capital and wage rate by price level? URL additionally contains a scheme that hints at how to reach the resource (with "file:" being "ask the host platform"), and so allows pointing at resources through HTTP, FTP, inside a JAR, and whatnot. The main classes representing (a path to) a resource are java.nio.file.Path, java.io.File, java.net.URI, and java.net.URL. URL provides a technique for describing an item's identity. It contains only the name of the file, so it is really more a path (see later) that the host platform interprets according to its own settings, rules, and syntax. However, pick the one you need: file-URLs may not typically have query components, but I could sure add one anyway. The Path interface is an abstraction of the File class, and is part of the New IO File API. Difference Between Identifier and Variable, Difference Between GET and POST Method in HTML, Difference Between Keyword and Identifier, Difference Between Logical and Physical Address in Operating System, Difference Between Preemptive and Non-Preemptive Scheduling in OS, Difference Between Synchronous and Asynchronous Transmission, Difference Between Paging and Segmentation in OS, Difference Between Internal and External fragmentation, Difference Between while and do-while Loop, Difference Between Pure ALOHA and Slotted ALOHA, Difference Between Recursion and Iteration, Difference Between Go-Back-N and Selective Repeat Protocol. I'm totally confused right now - mostly because of the terminology, I guess. URL URI; URL is used to describe the identity of an item. So c:\documents\mystuff\stuff.txt would have a path with the value of of "C:\documents\mystuff" Obviously the format of absolute filenames and paths would vary enormously from filesystem to filesystem. Can't find THWN. What is the difference between a URI, a URL and a URN? Checking if the access token is valid or expired. The one is a mean to name and operate on files the other is a method to name and read from resources (which can be files). However not all resource URLs can be converted to Files.