What are protocol handlers?
Protocol handlers are another way to extend the URL class. Again, there are no standard protocol handlers defined in the Java spec. [Note: Again, I find that I have to get Gosling’s book to check this.] In a URL, the protocol is the first part of the URL string, the part that precedes the colon. With the proper protocol handlers in place, URLs can handle ftp, mail, gopher, and even finger. Check out http://java.sun.com/people/brown/ for an implementation of a finger protocol handler.
