backslash (redirected from Backslash key)

backslash

The backslash symbol (\) is used as a separator between folder and file names in DOS and Windows. For example, the path to the Windows version of this encyclopedia is c:\"program files"\CDEweb\CDEweb.exe, which points to the CDEweb.exe file in the CDEweb subfolder within the Program Files folder on the C: drive.

An Unfortunate Symbol
The backslash adds confusion, because it is used in Windows addresses, but the forward slash is used in Internet addresses, which are Unix based. In addition, the backslash key is in a non-standard location on the keyboard.

Windows followed DOS, and DOS used the backslash as a separator. DOS would have used the forward slash for compatibility with Unix, but DOS was modeled after CP/M, which already used the forward slash for command line codes (see parameter). As a result, we are stuck with two symbols that are commonly used for the same purpose: to separate file and folder names.

Double Backslashes (\\)
Two backslashes are used as a prefix to a server name (host name). For example, \\a5\c\expenses is the path to the EXPENSES folder on the C: drive on server A5. See UNC, \\, path and forward slash.

 Platform      Path to Ovens Folder

 Windows:      \products\appliances\ovens

 Unix/Linux,
  Mac OS X:    /products/appliances/ovens


 Platform      Path to Ovens Page

 Internet:     greatproducts.com/appliances/ovens

---

(character)

backslash - "\" ASCII code 92. Common names: escape (from C/Unix); reverse slash; slosh; backslant; backwhack. Rare: bash; ITU-T: reverse slant; reversed virgule; INTERCAL: backslat. Backslash is used to separate components in MS-DOS pathnames, and to introduce special character sequence in C and Unix strings, e.g. "\n" for newline.