Relative URL is a term used in web development to refer to a shortened form of the full URL. The word "relative" is pronounced /ˈrɛl.ə.tɪv/, with the stress on the first syllable. The IPA transcription for the word "URL" is /jʊərˈɛl/, with the stress on the second syllable. When combined, the pronunciation would be /ˈrɛl.ə.tɪv ˈjʊərˌɛl/, with the stress on the first syllable of each word. The spelling of the word "relative URL" is straightforward, with both words being spelled exactly as they are pronounced.
A relative URL, also known as a relative uniform resource locator, is a reference to a resource on the web that is specified relative to the current URL or the base URL of the document it is embedded within. It is a shorter and more concise way to specify the location of a resource, as compared to an absolute URL.
Relative URLs do not include the entire address of a resource, such as the protocol (http:// or https://) or the domain name (www.example.com). Instead, they are written as a path or a partial address that is relative to the current document or the base URL. This makes relative URLs particularly useful when referencing resources within the same website or domain.
The path in a relative URL may include directories, subdirectories, and file names. It can be either an absolute path, starting from the root directory of the website, or a relative path, starting from the current directory. Relative URLs can also include special symbols like ".." to navigate up one directory or "../.." to go up two directories.
Relative URLs are widely used in web development for linking resources, such as images, stylesheets, scripts, or other web pages within a website. They offer flexibility and ease of maintenance, as the resource's location can be altered without needing to update every reference to it throughout the website.
The word "relative" in the term "relative URL" is derived from the Latin word "relativus", which means "related" or "connected". In the context of a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), a relative URL is a reference to a web resource that is related or connected to the current page or location within a website. It is called "relative" because it is relative to the current page's URL, rather than providing the complete URL for the resource.