How to get rid of the starting slash in URI or URL?

Question

I am using

URL res = this.getClass().getClassLoader().getResource(dictionaryPath);
String path = res.getPath();
String path2 = path.substring(1);

because the output of the method getPath() returns sth like this:

 /C:/Users/......

and I need this

 C:/Users....

I really need the below address because some external library refuses to work with the slash at the beginning or with file:/ at the beginning or anything else.

I tried pretty much all the methods in URL like toString() toExternalPath() etc. and done the same with URI and none of it returns it like I need it. (I totally don't understand, why it keeps the slash at the beginning).

It is okay to do it on my machine with just erasing the first char. But a friend tried to run it on linux and since the addresses are different there, it does not work...

What should with such problem?

Quarterphase

Strip the first character if path contains ":", for Christ's sake... – Engrail

For Christ's sake, if you read the first three lines, you could see, that I am doing it already, but it is not helpful since - why should I repeat myself, just read the post...... – Quarterphase

you are doing it unconditionally. Whether I 'm telling you to do it, only if ":" is present – Engrail

You can even go further and check for ":" especially in 3rd position. – Engrail

well you did edit the comment, the : was not there before. Such answer however is alredy below. – Quarterphase

Yes. And it's mine. Just tried to show it with code, if words are not enough. – Engrail

Answer 1

As long as UNIX paths are not supposed to contain drive letters, you may try this:

URL res = this.getClass().getClassLoader().getResource(dictionaryPath);
String path = res.getPath();
char a_char = text.charAt(2);
if (a_char==':') path = path.substring(1);

Engrail

thanks, I hope no other situation can occur with different OS. – Quarterphase

Answer 2

Convert the URL to a URI and use that in the File constructor:

URL res = this.getClass().getClassLoader().getResource(dictionaryPath);
File file = new File(res.toURI());
String fileName = file.getPath();

Hyperdulia

Answer 3

Convert to a URI, then use Paths.get().

URL res = this.getClass().getClassLoader().getResource(dictionaryPath);
String path = Paths.get(res.toURI()).toString();

Refurbish

Path.get may be deprecated in future, may be you could still use like this: String path = Path.of(res.toURI()).toString(); – Wallen

Btw, Path.of(...) is only available from Java11 – Wallen

Answer 4

You could probably just format the string once you get it.

something like this:

path2= path2[1:];

Rowlett

Did you read the first three lines of this post? I am using it - I can not and do not want to use it since this attitude is not working on other than windows machine. + I believe there must exist a more elegant solution than this. – Quarterphase

Answer 5

I was searching for one-line solution, so the best what i came up with was deleting it manually like this:

String url = this.getClass().getClassLoader().getResource(dictionaryPath).getPath().replaceFirst("/","");

In case if someone also needs to have it on different OS, you can make IF statement with

System.getProperty("os.name");

Enschede