Introduction

The file URI scheme specified in RFC 1630 and RFC 1738, and is typically used to retrieve files from the host computer.  Figure 1 below shows NetAnalysis with a number of file entries filtered, as stored by Microsoft Internet Explorer v9 in its history INDEX.DAT files. 

These entries are created (along with Microsoft Windows Shortcut entries) by accessing files on the computer system which typically have an HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT entry in the registry to inform Explorer how the file should be dealt with.

Figure 1

Meaning of Slash Character

The slash character (/), depending on its position, has different meanings within a file URL.

• The // after the file: is part of the general syntax of URLs. (The double slash // should always appear in a file URL according to the specification, but in practice many Web browsers allow it to be omitted).
  
  
• The single slash between host and path is part of the syntax of URLs.
  
  
• The slashes in path separate directory names in a hierarchical system of directories and subdirectories. In this usage, the slash is a general, system-independent way of separating the parts, and in a particular host system it might be used as such in any pathname (as in Unix systems).

Examples

Unix

Here are two Unix examples pointing to the same /etc/fstab file:

file://localhost/etc/fstab
file:///etc/fstab