code: public static URL createURL(String str) throws ParseException
      {
          try
          {
              return new URL(str);
          }
          catch (MalformedURLException e)
          {
              throw new ParseException("Unable to parse the URL: " + str);
          }
      }
docs: Returns the URL represented by <code>str</code>.
  
  @param str the URL string
  @return The URL in <code>str</code> is well-formed
  @throws ParseException if the URL in <code>str</code> is not well-formed