Why does Windows use backslashes?

Have you ever noticed that there is a small difference as follows.The same is the link but in Windows is C: Windows while on the web is https://yourdomain.com/ as well as on Linux, OS X and Android all use a slash '/'.Windows uses backslashes '' for directory and file paths, while nearly every other platform seems to use only forward slashes /, why is that?

Modern software has mostly auto-correction functions when you enter the slash incorrectly, so it doesn't matter which slash type you usually use but recognize the difference between the two types of slashes This crossover in Windows is sometimes also necessary.

Why does Windows use backslashes?

It is a historical story:For decades, exactly about 1970, Unix introduced a forward slash character that was a '/' character.This character acts as a directory separator.

It's hard to imagine, but the original version of Microsoft DOS, that MS-DOS 1.0 does not support any directory when it was released in 1981. Most of the utilities that come with DOS are written by IBM and they used this '/' character as a "conversion" character.

You can still see this exists until today in the command prompt.When you type dir / w, you have asked the dir command to run with the wide list format option, while typing dir c: means asking for the dir command to list the contents of the C: drive.The different types of slashes used here indicate you are specifying an option or directory path.(On Unix, characters - are used instead of the '/' character to indicate conversions.)

At that time, people didn't really care that they were using a character but on another operating system it was used for another purpose.

Why does Windows use backslashes? Picture 1

MS-DOS 2.0 introduced support for directories, but IBM also wanted to retain compatibility with the original DOS utilities as well as other programs and expected, '/' characters. Use as a conversion character.Microsoft used the '/' character as a conversion character on MS DOS, so they could not reuse it.So what should they do?They may have used "."same as DEC machines, but "."was used to distinguish between files and extensions.So they chose the "" character, quite like the '/' character and relatively intuitive.

Today's Windows may no longer be built on DOS, but you can still see that DOS's legacy still exists on Windows in a way that "backslashes" and other features like drive letters used for file systems on Windows.

Why does Windows use backslashes? Picture 2

Why do all other platforms use slashes '/'

Web browsers follow Unix conventions and use / for web addresses.Windows users often see forward slashes / when they enter the web address and backslash when they enter the location of the local directory, so this can be confusing.So are Unix-compliant sites, and so do other protocols like FTP.Even if you are running a web server or FTP server on a Windows machine, they will all use a forward slash '/' because that's what the protocol requires.

Other operating systems also use forward slashes for the same reason - the Unix convention.Linux is a Unix-like operating system, so they use the same type of slash.Mac OS X is a BSD-based platform, while BSD is also a Unix-like operating system.Other current operating systems such as Android, Chrome OS and Steam OS are also developed based on Linux, so it is understandable when they use the same type of slash together.

Why does Windows use backslashes? Picture 3

What is the problem here?

The more interesting question is whether this difference is really important.Browser and operating system developers seem to realize that users are confused about how to use these two types of characters, so they designed a feature to fix '/' and 'characters' themselves. .If you enter https: quantrimang.com into Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer, the browser will automatically fix it to https://quantrimang.com/ and download the website normally.If you enter C: / Users / Public into Windows Explorer and press Enter, it will automatically be edited to C: UsersPublic and you will be taken to the correct location of the folder you are looking for.

DOS developers were not happy with this even in the early days, so they made DOS accept both "/" and "" characters for the path.You can still enter commands like cd C: / Windows / into the Command Prompt and you will be taken to the correct directory.

However, this useful feature does not work anywhere in Windows.If you enter the path like C: / Users / Public into the Open dialog and press Enter, you will see an error message that says the file name is invalid.There are other web-based applications that may also show you an error if you try to enter a path like https: quantrimang.com - it depends on whether the program supports your error correction.

Why does Windows use backslashes? Picture 4

Most of us often don't pay attention to the parallel existence of these two slash characters, but sometimes it doesn't matter.It would be great if all platforms use a consistent delimiter for directory paths, but Windows suffers from some compatibility issues, so Windows users still have to be temporary. ' living with floods'.

see more

  1. 15 things computer users should know
  2. How to enable or disable text suggestions on Windows 10
  3. How to fix the size and position of the Command Prompt window
  4. Change the slash to a dot in Excel format
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