Can't create URI from filepath string

Question

I am trying to open a file (c:\test.txt) from a java application in the default browser. To do this I must specify the filepath as an URI to desktop.browse():
    Desktop desktop;
    if (Desktop.isDesktopSupported()) {
      desktop = Desktop.getDesktop();     
      String test = "c:" + File.separator + "bob.txt";
      System.out.println(test);
      URI pathTofile;
      try {
        pathTofile = new URI(test);
        desktop.browse(pathTofile);
        System.out.println("where is the browser??");
      } catch (URISyntaxException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
      } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }  But this line:
pathTofile = new URI(test);
throws:
java.net.URISyntaxException: Illegal character in opaque part at index 2: c:\bob.txt
I have tried replacing backslash with forward slash but that does not help. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Why not just create a File object from the filepath and then call its toURI method? Then you don't have to assume you actually know how a file URI is constructed and you don't get blindsided by gaps in your knowledge.