Open Office Technology

When configuring OpenOffice, directory and file paths must be entered using OpenOffice's file URL syntax, as described below.

For a local drive such as C: or a network drive mapped to a local drive letter such as N:, the file URL syntax is:

file:///X:/path or file:///X:/path/file.ext

In Windows, shared file and directories on the local network can also be referred to using Universal Naming Convention (UNC) format. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/141941. The Windows UNC path for a shared file is \\server\share\path\file.ext. This path translates into the file URL format:

file://server/share/path or file://server/share/path/file.ext

Note that when specifying a drive letter, the colon is followed by three slashes, "file:///", but when specifying a UNC path, the colon is followed by only two slashes, "file://". Also note that all Windows' backslash "\" path separators must be replaced by forward slashes "/". Finally, when referring to directories and files on Windows machines, case does not matter, and therefore file:///c:/temp, file:///C:/Temp and file:///C:/TEMP would all refer to the same location.

Here are some examples of valid file URL's:

file:///C:/OpenOffice 2.0/templates
file:///N:/OpenOffice 2.0/templates
file://netserver/OpenOffice/templates

file:///C:/OpenOffice 2.0/templates/corporate standard.ott
file:///N:/OpenOffice 2.0/templates/corporate standard.ott
file://netserver/OpenOffice/templates/corporate standard.ott

Note that in a file URL, the server name can also be an IP address or DNS name, for example:

file://127.0.0.1/path or file://127.0.0.1/path/file.ext
file://64.233.167.99/path or file://64.233.167.99/path/file.ext
file://localhost/path or file://localhost/path/file.ext
file://domain.com/path or file://domain.com/path/file.ext
file://host.domain.com/path or file://host.domain.com/path/file.ext