What is the difference between file:/, file://, file:///

Today I saw in a Java application several different approaches to开发者_运维技巧 load a file.

• file:/
• file://
• file:///

What is the difference of these three URL beginnings and what is the preferred way of using them?

Thanks a lot Stefan

• file:/ is invalid as far as I know

• file:// is the prefix for the file protocol

• file:/// is the prefix for the file protocol, plus a leading / pointing to the root directory of the current drive (On Windows) or the overall root directory (On Linux / Unix).

file:/ is invalid, and shouldn't work file:/// is a shorthand for: file://localhost/ file:// is the recommended method