java.net.URL refer to a file in a parent directoty

Question

I have a very basic question. I need a URL object but the file is in the previous directory relative to the project.

For instance, if I do

File testFile = new File("../../data/myData.xml");

works perfectly fine, it finds the file

However,

URL testURL = new URL("file:///../../data/myData.xml")

gives an

Exception in thread "main" java.io.FileNotFoundException: /../../data/myData.xml

Any idea, how to solve, work around this? without changing the position of the data?

Thanks a lot in advance Altober

You need to give the complete path to the file

Hitesh Kumar
– Hitesh Kumar

2014-02-20 15:14:43 +00:00
Commented Feb 20, 2014 at 15:14 — Hitesh Kumar
– Hitesh Kumar, Commented Feb 20, 2014 at 15:14

lakshman · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-20 15:13:53Z

2

you can use this

URL testURL = new File("../../data/myData.xml").toURI().toURL();

answered Feb 20, 2014 at 15:13

lakshman

2,7396 gold badges40 silver badges65 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

Hitesh Kumar · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-20 15:22:52Z

1

/**
 * @param args
 */
public static void main(String[] args) {

try {
    URL testUrl = new URL("file://C:/Users/myName/Desktop/abc.txt");
    System.out.println(testUrl.toString());
} catch (MalformedURLException e) {

    e.printStackTrace();
}

    }
}

The above code is working file, just tested it, so you need to use file:// and if possible try full path

answered Feb 20, 2014 at 15:22

Hitesh Kumar

6631 gold badge6 silver badges22 bronze badges

1 Comment

Altober Over a year ago

thanks a lot but the idea was to try to avoid absolute paths, since it is a project shared by many developers.

Miserable Variable · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-20 15:15:22Z

0

Exception in thread "main" java.io.FileNotFoundException: /../../data/myData.xml

Note that it is looking for parent directory of root directory, not of current directory.

I dont know if File URLs can refer to relative paths, try

‘new URL("file://../../data/myData.xml")'‘

answered Feb 20, 2014 at 15:15

Miserable Variable

28.8k15 gold badges79 silver badges138 bronze badges

2 Comments

fge Over a year ago

"I dont know if File URLs can refer to relative paths" <-- no they cannot. Paths in absolute URIs (and therefore URLs) are always absolute. That is, if you do not use relative URIs.

Altober Over a year ago

I tried that. It seems that fge is right. Lakshman has the right answer. Thank you for your time.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

java.net.URL refer to a file in a parent directoty

3 Answers 3

Comments

1 Comment

2 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

3 Answers 3

Comments

1 Comment

2 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related