Loading JS and CSS files in relation to the website root directory

When it comes to including CSS/JS files, what are the best practices for defining the file URI? Some people prefer to include files relative to the website root by specifying the full URI:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="/my/path/to/css/main.css">

This method is favored by some because it makes it easier to locate the file in the code. Personally, I tend to use this approach as well since I find it more convenient and have not encountered any issues with it. However, there are also those who opt for relative includes:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="css/main.css">

How do you typically define the file location and what is your reasoning behind it? Is one method considered superior to the other?

Answer №1

My preference lies with relative includes due to their resilience against platform changes, such as transitioning from a test environment to a live platform. As long as the internal structure of your project remains consistent, relative paths will continue to function, whereas absolute paths may become broken under these circumstances. Additionally, determining the absolute path can sometimes be challenging, whereas the relative document-dependent path is more straightforward.

However, if files are located in various places within your project, using different relative paths each time for the same file can lead to confusion. In such cases, opting for absolute paths may be preferable (it's advisable to store the webroot path in a variable for robustness: $WEBROOT/css/main.css). Ultimately, it all boils down to individual needs and preferences.

Answer №2

When it comes to the first example, the URI is considered absolute in relation to the website's domain. This means that the URI would appear as follows:

http://www.example.com/my/path/to/css/main.css

On the other hand, in the second scenario, the path is relative to the current location. For instance, if you find yourself at

http://www.example.com/store/product/121

Then your path to the css files would look like this:

http://www.example.com/store/product/css/main.css

In conclusion, the file paths vary depending on where your files are situated.

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