Documents and other object can be linked using absolute or relative links.

An absolute link contains the entire URL, including the domain name for the linked object. For example, the location of the FAQ folder in this web site can be described as this:

    <a href="http://cmf.3dresearch.com/folder_faq/">

A relative link describes the linked object's location relative to the linking file. For example, the location of the FAQ folder in this web site relative to this page can be described as this:

    <a href="../..">

The last two dots represent the folder which contains the current document and the two dots preceding the slash represent the folder enclosing the folder this file resides in.

To find the page entitled What to choose: POP3 or IMAP? we would use a relative linksuch as:

    <a href="../../faq_mail_folder/pop3_or_imap">

The above link can be translated as "go in the folder enclosing this folder, the folder enclosing this folder also contains the folder called faq_mail_folder and in the faq_mail_folder find the file pop3_or_imap."

Objects located outside a web site can only be linked with absolute links. Documents and other objects located in the same web site can be linked either with absolute or relative links. It is customary to use relative links to connect to objects within the web site.

Last modified 2006-01-09 11:03:09.