// Vs http:// when including remote content

Question

My website content is served over SSL and my webpage uses Google Adsense. In The ad code the javascript file is included from: //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js I would just like to know what // does instead of http:// or https:// and why you should or shouldn't use it instead of http:// or https://

Thanks again, Francis

Answer 1

It's so that the link works when the page it's on is requested as HTTP or HTTPS.

If the link was HTTP specifically, and then the user requested the page as HTTPS, they would get the "Not all content is secure" type warning from their browser.

Perhaps check out there StackOverflow questions for more info:

• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/550038/is-it-valid-to-replace-http-with-in-a-script-src-http
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7693598/using-instead-of-protocol?lq=1
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5799577/does-using-www-example-com-in-javascript-chose-http-https-protocol-automatical?lq=1