path

Hi,
what is the difference between getAbsolutePath()
and getCanonicalPath().I have read few topics here,
but i wasnt able to follow.So, anyone please explain
me .
Thanks!
[This message has been edited by avn (edited August 24, 2000).]

Anyone pl. answer.....

They only differ when it comes to "." and ".." directories.
Otherwise they refer to the same value !

Thanks! Deepak.But, can u explain it with an example???

The difference is more than . and .. directories. Go to "search" (see the label towards upper right corner of your screen) and search for "getCanonicalPath" and / or "getAbsolutePath" in previous discussions. There are some detailed examples.

Thanks! Jim.But still i am not able to understand clearly.
Consider : e:/jdk1.2/bin/p1/derived.class

a)
File f1= new File("e:/jdk1.2","/./derived.class");
System.out.println("absolutepath: "+f1.getAbsolutePath());
System.out.println("canonical path: "+f1.getCanonicalPath());
o/P: e:\jdk1.2\.\derived.class
e:\jdk1.2\derived.class

b)
File f3= new File("e:/jdk1.2","/../derived.class");
System.out.println("absolutepath: "+f3.getAbsolutePath());
System.out.println("canonical path: "+f3.getCanonicalPath());
o/p: e:\jdk1.2\..\derived.class
e:\derived.class
Here , the canonical path are displayed differently???
Shouldnt it print e:\jdk1.2\bin\p1\derived.class
Pl.explain me where i am wrong??
Thanks!

Neither of the File objects you create refers to e:/jdk1.2/bin/p1/derived.class. Mostly because you never include "bin" or "p1" anywhere in the path strings which you use to initilize each File. Then, you get two different canonical paths because the File objects refer to completely different physical files, because their paths lead to different places. The ".." in the second File constructor means that anyone interpreting that path should move up one level in the directory structure, as you see in the resulting canonical path.