Get Relative Url From Absolute Url

Have you ever needed to extract a relative URL from an absolute URL in your coding adventures? Don't worry, it's a common requirement that developers face. In this article, we'll walk you through the process of obtaining a relative URL from an absolute one and explore a few methods to achieve this task.

Let's start by understanding the difference between absolute and relative URLs. An absolute URL contains the entire address of a web resource, including the protocol, domain name, and path, while a relative URL specifies the location of a resource in relation to the current page. Extracting a relative URL from an absolute URL can be useful when you need to work with relative paths in your application.

One simple way to extract a relative URL from an absolute URL is by using JavaScript. You can achieve this by creating a function that takes the absolute URL as input and returns the relative URL. Here's a basic example:

function getRelativeUrlFromAbsolute(absoluteUrl) {
    var a = document.createElement('a');
    a.href = absoluteUrl;
    return a.pathname + a.search + a.hash;
}

var absoluteUrl = 'https://www.example.com/blog/article?id=123#section';
var relativeUrl = getRelativeUrlFromAbsolute(absoluteUrl);
console.log(relativeUrl);

In this code snippet, we utilize the `a` element in the DOM to parse the absolute URL and extract the pathname, search parameters, and hash. By concatenating these parts, we obtain the relative URL.

Another approach involves using the URL API available in modern browsers. The URL API provides a convenient way to work with URLs in JavaScript. Here's how you can leverage the URL API to get a relative URL from an absolute one:

function getRelativeUrlFromAbsolute(absoluteUrl) {
    var parsedUrl = new URL(absoluteUrl);
    return parsedUrl.pathname + parsedUrl.search + parsedUrl.hash;
}

var absoluteUrl = 'https://www.example.com/blog/article?id=123#section';
var relativeUrl = getRelativeUrlFromAbsolute(absoluteUrl);
console.log(relativeUrl);

By creating a new `URL` instance with the absolute URL, we can easily access different parts of the URL, such as pathname, search, and hash, to construct the relative URL.

Remember, when working with URLs, it's essential to handle edge cases and account for different URL formats to ensure your function behaves correctly in various scenarios.

In conclusion, extracting a relative URL from an absolute URL is a valuable skill for developers working on web applications. Whether you choose to parse the URL manually or use the URL API, understanding how to manipulate URLs will enhance your coding capabilities. Next time you encounter the need to extract a relative URL, you'll be well-equipped to tackle the task with confidence. Happy coding!