Why does http use / instead of \ like dos does?

[yoda313]

Hello,

So why is it? Is it something to do with the way the net was created? I would have thought they would have treated it like DOS and use the \ that we've been using forever.

Anyone know why?

Kevin

[jackal70058]

Proaly to keep it separate. You'll know a web address from a DOS line.

I don't know. Just a guess.

[yoda313]

Proaly to keep it separate. You'll know a web address from a DOS line.

I don't know. Just a guess.

Hello,

Hmm... sounds like a possibility...

Kevin

[reboot]

Because back in the dark ages, when there was no GUI to browse the miniscule web, we used DOS.
From DOS, one could type in http://something......with the / and get to wherever. One could also type in cd\ using the \ and get to wherever on one's computer, without changing windows, because there WAS NO windows.

[vitualis]

Not as simple I think...

To delineate between folders and subfolders, the Unix standard is to use the "slash" ... i.e., "/"

Thus, the web naturally used the "slash" for this purpose as well.

When DOS first came out, they decided to be different and used the "backslash" for the same function (i.e., "\" ) and left the slash for optional keys on the command line.

Why? I don't know.

Regards.

[makntraks]

Hello,

So why is it? Is it something to do with the way the net was created? I would have thought they would have treated it like DOS and use the \ that we've been using forever.

Anyone know why?

Kevin

Not having to pay MS a fee???

makntraks

[Ward River]

Hello,

So why is it? Is it something to do with the way the net was created? I would have thought they would have treated it like DOS and use the \ that we've been using forever.

Anyone know why?

Kevin

Because "/" is the language and way of the true ('nix) backbone of the 'net, and "\" is just a cheap MS gimmick knock-off.

[EddyH]

"me too" /A0L

The web is a unix-based thing (the old, original, 1970s (60s?) origin cross-platform text based operating system that's grown slowly into linux, OSX, et al*), rising out of universities and the military etc..... old text-mode Lynx browsers running from VT220 terminals, those were the days (...the days in question being 2 years ago, at college )

Despite the increasinly advanced development and support it had all the way up to 6.22 / 7.0, DOS 1.0 was quite a cheap rip-off of CPM, which was a cheap rip-off of Unix...... Bill changed the slash-for-directories, hyphens-for-switches to the backslash & forward slash notation oldskool DOS hardcores know and love-hate probably to avoid copyright law or something, which was a bit weak in the computer arena at the time (and he complains about piracy.... tch)

So now when you type in a web address... you can go... hey maw.... lookit me...... ahm using Unix!
(at which point she disowns you, for being a pervert)

* including, sadly, the evil incarnate SunOS and Openwindows that I have to use at work.

[yoda313]

Hello,

Thanks for the tidbits guys

Kevin

[offline]

Pre CPM & Pre VT220 it was used to differentiate between
local directories and those at a remote station.

\\TTY A
local\bin\dist

//TTY B
remote/bin/dist

The "/" diagonal, oblique or solidus (as it was called)
is ages old but the "backslash" came into being to
mark paragaphs for typesetting.

*TTY= Teletype, a type of printer with a keyboard used before VDU's

[EddyH]

oh...... coolness

splains why i actually found out the sunOS machine's directories also have backslashes

[lordsmurf]

Unix origins