Introduction
Different people use the internet for a variety of reasons. There are some who use the internet for research, others who use it to trade information or data, and so on. The items that we encountered often when browsing websites and web pages on the internet. And when you were looking through these online pages or websites, you came across a few things, such as the URL and the URI. Both of these names have a somewhat similar sound, which is one reason why not many people are aware of the distinctions between the two of them.
The phrases URL and URI, both of which are essential to the operation of a website, are often interchanged with one another and utilized. On the other hand, they are not the same thing. The Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) is capable of concurrently representing a resource's Uniform Resource Name (URN) and Uniform Resource Locator (URL), while the URL can only be used to describe the location of a resource on the internet. In this post, we also compare and contrast URLs and URIs and explain the differences between the two.
URL vs URI
The main difference between a URL and a URI is in the functions that each one is designed to fulfill. The Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) may be used to identify both the name and location of a resource, but the Uniform Resource Locator (URL), which is a subset of URI, can only identify the location of a resource. The name of the resource or any other information is not included inside the URL. They also differ in terms of their aims or motives, where they are used, their schemes, etc., except that these they also differ in terms of the protocol specification that is provided in the case of URL but not in URI. Both of these they also differ in terms of their aims or motives, where they are used, their schemes, etc.
It is possible to identify the location and address of a webpage or website by using something called a uniform resource locator. The address and location of a webpage or website might vary depending on the resource. Its only purpose is to locate the target, leaving no room for any other pursuits. Simply clicking on the website or webpage's URL address gives a user access to the resource in question. It is not difficult to discover or see on the internet at all. The acronym "URL," which stands for "Uniform Resource Locator," most often refers to a string of letters that is followed by an address. It is a method that is used very often in the process of locating materials on the web. It offers a means through which the presentation of the physical location may be retrieved by specifying either its network location or its principal access mode.
The URL, which is used to get the resource as well as the resource name, contains the description of the protocol. If the resource may be a web-type resource, the URL will begin with http or https at the beginning. In the same manner, it starts with ftp if the resource may be a file, and it starts with mailto if the resource is an email address. The major portion of a URL is used for the protocol, while the remaining part of the URL is used for the resource, which may be a website name or the name of a program. The syntax of a URL is illustrated below; the primary component is used for the protocol.
URL and URN are the two subsets that make up a Uniform Resource Identifier, and they are responsible for providing the location of the resource as well as its name. It may be a protocol, a standard, a designation, or something else entirely, but you can't use it to convey someone's name and location at the same time. It is only capable of conveying one of them at a time. A Uniform Resource Identifier, or URI, is a string of letters that, like a URL, identifies a resource on the web by utilizing either its location, its name, or both. It makes it possible to identify the resources in a standardized manner. The fact that a URI may be classified as either a locator, a name, or both indicates that it can either describe a URL or a URN, or both. Regardless of the method that was used, the prominence of the resources is referred to by the term identifier that is included inside the URI.
The first category of URI is called URL, and it is used to define the way of accessing a resource by including a protocol in addition to the resource's name. The resource name is also included in the URL. There is also a non-persistent form of the URI known as a URL. It is necessary for a URN to be globally distinct from any other identifier and to have an international reach.
Difference Between URL and URI in Tabular Form
| Parameters of Comparison | URL | URI |
| Stands for | Uniform Resource Locator also known as URL. | Identifier of the Uniform Resource. |
| Contains/tells | Only gives the location. | URL and URN are included in its subsets. |
| Aims at | Locating several places. | The classification of available resources has been completed. |
| Example | https/:quoteslyfe.com | ISBN 0-486-356757-4 |
| Used in | Conducting a search of various web sites on the internet. | XML and tag libraries. |
What is URL?
A Uniform Resource Locator, more often known as a URL, is a one-of-a-kind identifier that may be used to identify a resource on the internet. A web address is another name for this string of characters. URLs are comprised of a number of components, the most important of which are a protocol and a domain name. These components instruct a web browser on how and where to obtain a resource.
End users may access URLs in a variety of ways, including entering them directly into the address bar of a web browser or clicking on a hyperlink located on a website, bookmark list, email, or inside another program.
A Uniform Resource Locator, or URL, is a string of characters that not only specifies the location of a resource on a computer network but also the method by which it may be retrieved. A document written in CSS or a website written in HTML may each be referred to by its own unique URL. The protocols HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP are used in conjunction with the URLs to get access to the resources. Additionally, it displays the address of the website that we put into the space bar on the keyboard.
In addition to the name of the resource, the uniform resource locator (URL) also includes the name of the protocol that is required in order to access it. The first component of a URL specifies the protocol that should be used as the principal access channel. The second component specifies the Internet Protocol (IP) address or domain name — and, if necessary, the subdomain — at which the resource may be found.
URL protocols include Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and HTTPS (HTTP Secure) for web resources, mail to for email addresses, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) for transfer of files, and telnet to access remote computers for a particular session. The vast majority of URL protocols are followed by a colon and two forward slashes, while the "mail to" protocol just has a colon after it.
What is URI?
A Uniform Resource Identifier, or URI, is a string of characters that may identify either a logical (abstract) or physical resource. These resources are often linked to the internet, although this is not always the case. One resource may be distinguished from another using a URI.
Internet protocols are made possible by URIs, which allow them to promote interactions between and among these resources. Identifiers, such as a scheme name or a file path, are made up of the character strings that are included in a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).
It is possible for the file path portion of the URI to be left blank.
The most popular kind of URI is known as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), sometimes known as a web address. It is used for unequivocally identifying and finding websites as well as other resources that are linked to the internet.
It is used for the purpose of identifying a certain resource on the internet by using either the address or the name of the resource, or both. A webpage or website, just like any other entity, has to have its own unique address and name in order to be distinguishable from other websites. The URI is of assistance in this regard.
You are able to revisit a website that you have previously seen by using a URL that is a component of the uniform resource identifier (URI). It is impossible for two different websites or pages on the internet to have the same Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).
The Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) protocol makes it possible for resources to communicate with one another. Because a Uniform Resource Identifier may only convey one thing at a time, either a location or a name, and not the both of them, it is impossible for all Uniform Resource Identifiers to be the same thing as the Uniform Resource Locator.
In XML and tag libraries, it is used rather commonly for the purpose of binary object identification. JSTL and other such things are some examples of XML and Tag libraries.
Main Differences Between URL and URI in Points
- Uniform Resource Locator is what URL stands for, whereas Uniform Resource Identifier refers to what URI stands for.
- When compared to URL, the URI idea covers more ground. The Uniform Resource Name and the Uniform Resource Location are the two subsets that make up a URI. They provide information on the name and location of the web, respectively, in contrast to the URL, which is merely a subset of the Uniform Resource Identifier that provides information regarding the location of the resource.
- Both of these phrases are tied to one another since every URL is a part of the Uniform Resource Identifier, or URI. On the other hand, not every Uniform Resource Identifier, or URI, is a part of the URL because it is possible for it to also be a URN.
- While URL serves just one function, which is to locate the address of the location of a resource, the primary goal of URI is to identify and differentiate resources from one another by utilizing their name and location data. This is accomplished by knowledge of the resources' names and locations.
- It's possible that URI scheme is more than simply a protocol. Unlike the scheme of the Uniform Resource Locator (URL), which is normally merely a protocol, it may also be a designation or a specification, among other things.
- The two of them are also distinct from one another in regard to the applications they serve. In XML and tag libraries, the Uniform Resource Identifier is used for the purpose of identifying binaries and resources, while the Uniform Resource Locator is mostly utilized on the internet for the purpose of finding a webpage or website.
- https://google.in is an example for the URL whereas urn:isbn:0-284-56889-3 is an example for the URI
- URL is used to access the physical location or Internet Protocol address of the resource, while URI is used to locate the resource.
Conclusion
As a result, there really shouldn't be any misunderstandings about the difference between URI and URL anymore. They are both highly essential concepts related to the internet, and because to the similarities between the two, they are often used in place of one another. Both of them are linked to one another as well. The internet is now being used on a daily basis. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to be familiar with the meanings of the terminology that we use on a daily basis.
There is nothing novel about URL or URI; in fact, all of us have already used them. It is necessary to have this knowledge so that we may use it appropriately. There are also a couple of additional words that are related with the two of them, and those phrases are URN and Uniform Resource Name.
