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<?xml version='1.0'?>
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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd" >
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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
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<head>
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<title>Web Naming and Addressing Overview (URIs, URLs,
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...)</title>
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<link rel="STYLESHEET" href="../StyleSheets/Area/Overview.css" type="text/css"/>
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<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"/>
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</head>
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<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
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<p><a href="../"><img border="0" alt="W3C" src="../Icons/WWW/w3c_home"/></a> <a href="../Architecture/"><img src="../Icons/arch" width="212" height="48" alt="Architecture Domain" border="0"/></a></p>
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<h1>Naming and Addressing: URIs, URLs, ...</h1>
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<p align="center">Links · <a href="#background">About
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URIs</a> · <a href="#time">History</a></p>
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<div class="Intro">
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This is an overview of W3C materials related to Addressing. The
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<a href="Activity">URI Activity Statement</a> explains W3C's
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work on this topic in more detail.
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<dl>
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<dt><strong>Standards Track Specifications</strong></dt>
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<dd><a href="#rfc3986">Uniform Resource Identifier (URI): Generic Syntax</a>, <a href="#rfc3987">Internationalized Resource Identifiers (IRIs)</a>,
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<a href="#1999">BCP for scheme registration process</a>,
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<a href="#19991">guidelines for new schemes</a>, <a href="http://www.iana.org/assignments/uri-schemes.html">IANA's list of
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URI schemes</a></dd>
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<dt><strong>Current W3C work on URIs</strong></dt>
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<dd>
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<a href="Activity">URI Activity Statement</a>, <a href="/2001/12/URI/">URI Interest Group</a>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<a href="/TR/uri-clarification/">URIs, URLs, and URNs:
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Clarifications and Recommendations 1.0</a> W3C Note Sep
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2001
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<p>(also <a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3305.txt">RFC 3305</a>
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(informational))</p>
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</li>
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</ul>
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</dd>
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<dt><strong>Related W3C work</strong></dt>
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<dd><a href="/2001/tag/">Technical Architecture Group
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(TAG)</a>, <a href="../International/">Internationalization</a>, <a href="/2001/sw/">Semantic Web</a>, <a href="/RDF/">RDF</a>,
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<a href="/XML/" name="XML1" id="XML1">Extensible Markup
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Language (XML)</a></dd>
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<dt><strong>Related <a href="http://www.ietf.org/">IETF</a>
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work, supported by W3C</strong></dt>
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<dd>
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<a href="../Protocols/">HTTP</a>
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<p>Work on <a href="http://www.gbiv.com/protocols/uri/rev-2002/issues.html">RFC
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2396 update</a> (to IETF Standard)</p>
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</dd>
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<dt><strong>Personal Perspectives</strong></dt>
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<dd>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="../Provider/Style/URI"><cite>Hypertext
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Style: Cool URIs don't change</cite></a> by Tim
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Berners-Lee in <a href="../Provider/Style/"><cite>Style
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Guide for online hypertext</cite></a></li>
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<li>
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<dl>
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<dt><cite><a href="http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/demoweb/url-primer.html">
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A Beginner's Guide to URLs</a></cite> The classic
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intro to URLs, by <a href="mailto:mosaic@ncsa.uiuc.edu">The NCSA Mosaic
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team</a></dt>
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</dl>
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</li>
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<li>
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<dl>
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<dt><a href="9710-uri-vs-url.html">on URI vs. URL</a>
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Oct 1997</dt>
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</dl>
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</li>
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<li>
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<dl>
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<dt><a href="http://www.ics.uci.edu/pub/ietf/uri/">IETF - Uniform
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Resource Identifiers (URI) Working Group</a>
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maintained by Roy Fielding</dt>
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</dl>
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</li>
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<li>Tim Berners-Lee's original writings on <a href="../DesignIssues/Naming">Document Naming</a>, part of
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<a href="../DesignIssues/">Design Issues</a> for
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the Web</li>
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<li>some <a href="notes.html">older notes</a> by Dan
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Connolly</li>
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<li><a href="http://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/ModelConsequences">URI
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Model Consequences</a>, by Jim Gettys</li>
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</ul>
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</dd>
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<dt><strong><a name="discussion" id="discussion">Community
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Discussion</a></strong></dt>
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<dd><a href="http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/uri/">uri@w3.org</a>,
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<a href="http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-talk/">www-talk@w3.org</a>,
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<a href="http://esw.w3.org/topic/UriSchemes">UriSchemes</a>
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topic in the ESW Wiki</dd>
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</dl>
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</div>
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<h2><a name="background" id="background">Learning About
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URIs</a></h2>
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<p>The Web is an information space. Human beings have a lot of
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mental machinery for manipulating, imagining, and finding their
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way in spaces. URIs are the points in that space.</p>
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<p>Unlike web data formats, where HTML is an important one, but
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not the only one, and web protocols, where HTTP has a similar
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status, there is only one Web naming/addressing technology:
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URIs.</p>
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<p>Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs, aka URLs) are short
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strings that identify resources in the web: documents, images,
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downloadable files, services, electronic mailboxes, and other
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resources. They make resources available under a variety of
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naming schemes and access methods such as HTTP, FTP, and Internet
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mail addressable in the same simple way. They reduce the tedium
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of "log in to this server, then issue this magic command ..."
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down to a single click.</p>
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<p>It is an extensible technology: there are a number of existing
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addressing schemes, and more may be incorporated over time.</p>
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<h2><a name="time" id="time">Timeline: News, Events,
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Publications, and History</a></h2>
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<p>This is a <a name="specs" id="specs">publication history, or
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bibliography</a> collected from <a href="http://www.ietf.org/">IETF</a> documents and <a href="../TR/">W3C Technical Reports</a> as well as a record of
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events.</p>
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<dl>
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<dt id="rfc3986">Jan 2005</dt>
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<dd><cite><a href="http://www.gbiv.com/protocols/uri/rfc/rfc3986.html">Uniform Resource Identifier (URI): Generic Syntax</a></cite> [RFC3986]</dd>
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<dt id="rfc3987">Jan 2005</dt>
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<dd><cite><a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3987.txt">Internationalized Resource Identifiers (IRIs)</a></cite></dd>
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<dt>March 2003</dt>
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<dd>Uniform Resource Identifiers (uribof) Bof at <a href="http://www.ietf.org/PASTMEETINGS/IETF-56B.html">IETF 56</a> in
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San Francisco</dd>
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<dt>March 2001</dt>
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<dd><a href="http://www2.ietf.org/proceedings/01mar/minutes/furi-m.txt">Future
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of URI (FURI) BOF</a> at <a href="http://www.ietf.org/">IETF</a> 50, Minneapolis</dd>
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<dt><a name="19991">Nov 1999</a></dt>
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<dd><cite><a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2718.txt">Guidelines for new URL
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Schemes</a></cite>, November 1999 RFC2718</dd>
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<dt><a name="1999">Nov 1999</a></dt>
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<dd><a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2717.txt"><cite>Registration
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Procedures for URL Scheme Names</cite></a> R. Petke, (RFC
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2717)</dd>
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<dt>Dec 1998</dt>
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<dd><a href="../Provider/Style/URI"><cite>Hypertext Style: Cool
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URIs don't change</cite></a> section added to <a href="../Provider/Style/"><cite>Style Guide for online
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hypertext</cite></a></dd>
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<dt><a name="9808uri">August 1998</a></dt>
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<dd><cite><a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2396.txt">Uniform
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Resource Identifiers (URI): Generic Syntax<br/></a></cite>
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(RFC 2396) T. Berners-Lee, R. Fielding, L. Masinter</dd>
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<dt><a name="1997">May 1997</a></dt>
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<dd>
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<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2141.txt"><cite>URN
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Syntax</cite></a>
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<p>RFC 2141 R. Moats</p>
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</dd>
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<dt>Apr 1997</dt>
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<dd>38th <a href="http://www.ietf.org/">IETF</a>: URN WG
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meeting (<a href="9704ietf38-notes">research notes</a>)</dd>
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<dt>Dec 1996</dt>
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<dd><a href="http://www.ietf.org/proceedings/96dec/toc-96dec.html">San Jose
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IETF</a> -- <a href="ftp://ftp.parc.xerox.com/pub/masinter/url-bof-agenda.html">URL
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BOF</a></dd>
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<dt>Nov 1996</dt>
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<dd><a href="http://www.dlib.org/dlib/november96/11miller.html" name="w3c-diglib" id="w3c-diglib">W3C and Digital
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Libraries</a>, James S. Miller, <a href="http://www.dlib.org/">D-Lib Magazine</a></dd>
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<dt>Spring 1996</dt>
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<dd>2nd issue of <a href="../Journal/">W3J</a>, <a href="../Journal/2/" name="96w3j">Key Specifications of the World
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Wide Web</a> includes URI specs.</dd>
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<dt>July 1995</dt>
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<dd><!-- mid:199508032128.RAA26992@info.cren.net -->
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<a href="http://www.ics.uci.edu/pub/ietf/uri/meetings/minutes-stockholm.txt">
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IETF URI Working Group is closed.</a></dd>
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<dt>June 1995</dt>
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<dd>
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<a href="rfc1808.txt" name="RFC1808" id="RFC1808">RFC
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1808</a> released as <strong>Proposed Standard</strong>
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<p><cite>Relative Uniform Resource Locators</cite> R.
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Fielding</p>
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<p>Abstract:</p>
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<blockquote>
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... When embedded within a base document, a URL in its
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absolute form may contain a great deal of information which
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is already known from the context of that base document's
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retrieval, including the scheme, network location, and
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parts of the url-path. In situations where the base URL is
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well-defined and known to the parser (human or machine), it
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is useful to be able to embed URL references which inherit
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that context rather than re-specifying it in every
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instance.
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</blockquote>
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<p>This one is both authoritative (i.e. it's been through the
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IETF proposed standard process) and accurate on the matter of
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the syntax of URLs. Its grammar is complete and consistent,
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and there are several clarifying examples.</p>
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<p>On the other hand, it does not discuss any of the actual
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URL schemes (such as HTTP, FTP, ...)</p>
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</dd>
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<dt><a name="URL94" id="URL94">December 1994</a></dt>
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<dd>
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<a href="rfc1738.txt" name="RFC1738" id="RFC1738">(RFC
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1738)</a> released as <strong>Proposed Standard</strong>:
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<p><cite><a href="URL/Overview.html" name="url-spec" id="url-spec">Uniform Resource Locators (URL)</a></cite> T.
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Berners-Lee, L. Masinter, M. McCahill</p>
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<p>Abstract:</p>
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<blockquote>
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This document specifies a Uniform Resource Locator (URL),
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the syntax and semantics of formalized information for
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location and access of resources via the Internet.
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</blockquote>
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<p>This one is ratified as an IETF proposed standard, and it
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discusses each of the URL schemes (known at that time), but
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its grammar has some mistakes, and it doesn't cover several
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aspects of URL syntax, such as relative URLs and fragment
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identifiers</p>
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</dd>
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<dt>December 1994</dt>
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<dd>
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<a href="rfc1737.txt">RFC 1737</a>,
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<strong>Informational</strong>
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<p><cite>Functional Requirements for Uniform Resource
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Names</cite> , K. Sollins, L. Masinter</p>
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<p>Abstract:</p>
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<blockquote>
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This document specifies a minimum set of requirements for a
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kind of Internet resource identifier known as Uniform
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Resource Names (URNs). ...
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</blockquote>
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</dd>
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<dt><a name="URI94" id="URI94">June 1994</a></dt>
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<dd>
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<a href="rfc1630.txt">RFC 1630</a>,
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<strong>Informational</strong>, is released:
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<p><cite><a href="URL/URI_Overview.html" name="uri-spec" id="uri-spec">Universal Resource Identifiers in WWW: A Unifying
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Syntax for the Expression of Names and Addresses of Objects
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on the Network as used in the World-Wide Web</a></cite> T.
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Berners-Lee.</p>
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</dd>
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<dd>This documents the designer's intent, before it was revised
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by the standards process. It was written by Tim Berners-Lee,
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but has only informational status in the IETF. It discusses all
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aspects of URLs (relative, etc.) though it has some mistakes in
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the grammar etc.</dd>
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<dt>March 94</dt>
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<dd><a href="http://www.ietf.org/proceedings/94mar/charters/uri-charter.html">
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IETF URI working group is formed</a></dd>
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<dt>1991</dt>
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<dd>Tim Berners-Lee's original writings on <a href="../DesignIssues/Naming">Document Naming</a>, part of <a href="../DesignIssues/">Design Issues</a> for the Web</dd>
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</dl>
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<p>See also:</p>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="../WWW/">Background and History of the
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Web</a></li>
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<li><a href="../News/">W3C News and Announcements</a></li>
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</ul>
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<hr/>
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<address>
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<a href="../People/Connolly/">Dan Connolly</a>
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<br/><small>$Revision: 1.58 $ of $Date: 2006/02/27 15:15:52 $
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<br/>Created 1993 by <a href="../People/Berners-Lee/">TimBL</a></small>
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</address>
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<p class="policyfooter"><small><a href="../Consortium/Legal/ipr-notice.html#Copyright">Copyright</a>
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 ©  1997 <a href="http://www.w3.org">W3C</a>
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(<a href="http://www.lcs.mit.edu">MIT</a>, <a href="http://www.inria.fr/">INRIA</a>, <a href="http://www.keio.ac.jp/">Keio</a> ), All Rights Reserved. W3C
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<a href="../Consortium/Legal/ipr-notice.html#Legal%20Disclaimer">liability,</a>
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<a href="../Consortium/Legal/ipr-notice.html#W3C%20Trademarks">trademark</a>,
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<a href="../Consortium/Legal/copyright-documents.html">document
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use</a> and <a href="../Consortium/Legal/copyright-software.html">software
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licensing</a> rules apply. Your interactions with this site are
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in accordance with our <a href="../Consortium/Legal/privacy-statement.html#Public">public</a>
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and <a href="../Consortium/Legal/privacy-statement.html#Members">Member</a>
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