# XML Guestbook - Why relative path?
**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/xml-guestbook-why-relative-path/62448
**Category:** programming
**Created:** [August 27, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/xml-guestbook-why-relative-path/62448 "2004-08-27T20:44:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@shivl](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/shivl)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/xml-guestbook-why-relative-path/62448/1 "2004-08-27T20:44:38Z")
HI,
I noticed something strange with the xml guestbook. When I wanted to test it in flash itself, i pointed to my server, in other words, i used an absolute path: eg
```auto
myXML.load("http://www.blabla.com/guestbook.xml?uniq="+myIdentifier);
```
same for the php file.
When i did this, the xml just got blanc when submitting messages, even online.
When i use relative paths, like:
```auto
myXML.load("guestbook.xml?uniq="+myIdentifier);
```
and test it online, no troubles though…Could someone explain me why? Maybe stupid question, but it’s the first time I run into something like this 👁
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2004, 6:59am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/xml-guestbook-why-relative-path/62448/2 "2004-08-29T06:59:55Z")
Sorry could not answer yours…just want to bump the post coz I really like to know about this too…
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/xml-guestbook-why-relative-path/62448/3 "2004-08-29T20:42:51Z")
Someone can explain it a lot better than me but I am pretty sure it is because of a security issue. It will only work with reative paths which you already discovered.
However there is a way around this, I remember reading about it. I will look for a link, it may even be on kirupa i can’t remember.