The file URI Scheme
draft-kerwinm-file-scheme-00

Abstract

This document specifies the file Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) scheme that was originally specified in [RFC1738]. The purpose of this document is to keep the information about the scheme on standards track, since [RFC1738] has been made obsolete.

Status of This Memo

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Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Scheme Definition
• 3. References
• 3.1. Normative References
• 3.2. Informative References
• Author's Address

1. Introduction

URIs were previously defined in [RFC1738], which was updated by [RFC3986]. Those documents also specify how to define schemes for URIs.

The first definition for many URI schemes appeared in [RFC1738]. Because that document has been made obsolete, this document copies the file URI scheme from it to allow that material to remain on standards track.

2. Scheme Definition

The file URL scheme is used to designate files accessible on a particular host computer. This scheme, unlike most other URL schemes, does not designate a resource that is universally accessible over the Internet.

A file URL takes the form:

file://<host>/<path>

where <host> is the fully quilified domain name of the system on which the <path> is accessible, and <path> is a hierarchical directory path of the form <directory>/<directory>/...<name>

For example, a VMS file

DISK$USER:[MY.NOTES]NOTE123456.TXT

might become

<URL:file://vms.host.edu/disk$user/my/notes/note12345.txt>

As a special case, <host> can be the string "localhost" or the empty string; this is interpreted as `the machine from which the URL is being interpreted'.

The file URL scheme is unusual in that it does not specify an Internet protocol or access method for such files; as such, its utility in network protocols between hosts is limited.

3. References

3.1. Normative References

3.2. Informative References

Author's Address