Difference between C: and C:/

Question

I was just reading some java book and making some small programs for practice, I created a small code to get information about the path I entered, and the code is:

Answer 1

C: means "whatever directory is currently selected on drive C:". In your case, it's probably the directory that your application is running from.

D: is the same as D:/ in your case because the root directory is the current working directory in D:.

Answer 2

This is not really a java question, but a windows/dos question.

The explanation comes down to the old dos command for switching drives.

Typing a drive letter followed by a colon is a command to change drives in dos, therefore the 'command' C: does nothing since your working dir is already on the C drive. The 'directory' returned by the native interface to the JRE is the same as if you used the path "", ie your working directory.

On the other hand, add a slash and it is a proper path, to the root of your C drive, therefore your JRE is given this directory by the native interface.

If you go to a dos command (windows>run>cmd) and type in C: you will see that it accepts the command but does not change directory, unless of course you are currently on a different drive at the time.

hope that helps.