How to test if a URL string is absolute or relative?

Question

How can I test a URL if it is a relative or absolute path in Javascript or jQuery? I want to handle accordingly depending if the passed in URL is a local or external path.

Answer 1

Don't use low-level stuff like regexp etc. These things have been solved by so many other people. Especially the edge cases.

Have a look at URI.js, it should do the job: http://medialize.github.io/URI.js/docs.html#is

var uri = new URI("http://example.org/");
uri.is("absolute") === true;