java.lang.Object | +----java.net.URLStreamHandler
public abstract class URLStreamHandler
extends Object
The abstract class URLStreamHandler is the common superclass for all stream protocol handlers. A stream protocol handler knows how to make a connection for a particular protocol type, such as http, ftp, or gopher.
In most cases, an instance of a URLStreamHandler subclass is not created directly by an application. Rather, the first time a protocol name is encountered when constructing a URL, the appropriate stream protocol handler is automatically loaded.