The location of a document relative to the topmost directory, "/" on a Unix system, or "c:\" on a DOS system. Note the differences: Unix does not use drive letters, and uses a forward slash, "/welcome.html" in paths. DOS users should pay particular attention to this last point.

These can be used to refer to files in a directory other than the one you (or the document containing a hotlink) are located in. To find out what directory you are located in when logged onto WebCom, enter "pwd" (print working directory) at the "ftp>" prompt.

When you are viewing a listing of your files on WebCom, whether you are using a graphical FTP client or a command line one, the list of files and directories will show two directories named "." and "..".

Using a command line client, a directory can be distinguished from a file by the "d" at the beginning of the first column of a list entry ("drwx------" is an example of the first part of a directory entry in the output of a list command, such as "ls"). A graphical browser will usually display directories separately from files.

The "." is the "working directory" (the one you are located in), and the ".." is the "parent directory" (the directory immediately above the one in which you are currently located).

A file can be referred to in two different ways. By its absolute path: "/pub/[youraccountname]/ftpfiles/myfile.zip" or by its path relative to your current working directory: "../ftpfiles/myfile.zip" (if you are located in another directory immediately below your home directory, such as the "www" directory).

Absolute paths referring to other files within a hotlink must be preceded by your default URL: "http://webcom.com/~webcom/[youruserid]/welcome.html".