What is a URN?

URN stands for Uniform Resource Name. URNs are location-independent pointers to a resource, which may be a single file or even different representations of the same content (e.g. a specific image in GIF, JPEG and PNG form). In most ways URNs can be used like URLs except that, when fetched, a smart browser should fetch them from the closest source. URNs and URLs are both types of Uniform Resource Identifiers, or URIs.

For more information read the following specifications:

• "URN Syntax" - http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2141.html
• "Functional Requirements for Uniform Resource Names" - http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1737.html
• "Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI): Generic Syntax" - http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2396.html