Database URI or URL?

Question

So I read this What is the difference between a URI, a URL and a URN? but I'm still not sure whether it's a database URL or URI.

For example MySQL could have something like this:

mysql+mysqldb://scott:tiger@localhost/test?charset=utf8&use_unicode=0

Is this an URL or URI?

Answer 1

I think the link in the comments is good enough but I can see there is a need for a TLDR;.

Here is my take on it:

• A URI is the generic version -- it includes everything as optional.

• A URL not only includes the location it also include how to work on that location (eg http:// for the protocol).

• A URN is just the name that should be unique, it can look like a URI or URL but the semantics (being unique) are what define it. (eg https://stackoverflow.com/users/215752/hogan)

This is the quick version --- there might be minor inaccuracies and side cases but maybe this gets you going in the right direction?

Hat tip: If it still exists feel free to look at the wikipedia entry. I believe it is clearer than the answer mentioned in the comments.

The answer to your question is that it is both a URL and a URI