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Media type

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An Internet media type,[1] originally called a MIME type after MIME and sometimes a Content-type after the name of a header in several protocols whose value is such a type, is a two-part identifier for file formats on the Internet. The identifiers were originally defined in RFC 2046 for use in e-mail sent through SMTP, but their use has expanded to other protocols such as HTTP and SIP.

A media type is composed of at least two parts: a type, a subtype, and one or more optional parameters. For example, subtypes of text type have an optional charset parameter that can be included to indicate the character encoding, and subtypes of multipart type often define a boundary between parts.

Types or subtypes that begin with "x-" are nonstandard -- they cannot be registered with IANA.[2] Subtypes that begin with vnd. are vendor-specific.[3]

List of common media types

IANA manages a registry of media types and character encodings. The organization makes a list available to the public through the Web. Some of the more notable media types used on the Web are listed below:

  • Type application: Multipurpose files
    • application/EDI-X12: EDI X12 data; Defined in RFC 1767
    • application/EDIFACT: EDI EDIFACT data; Defined in RFC 1767
    • application/javascript: JavaScript; Defined in RFC 4329
    • application/octet-stream: Arbitrary byte stream. This is thought of as the "default" media type used by several operating systems, often used to identify executable files, files of unknown type, or files that should be downloaded in protocols that do not provide a separate "content disposition" header. RFC 2046 specifies this as the fallback for unrecognized subtypes of other types.
    • application/ogg: Ogg, a multimedia bitstream container format; Defined in RFC 3534
    • application/xhtml+xml: XHTML; Defined by RFC 3236
    • application/x-shockwave-flash: Adobe Flash files; Documented in Adobe TechNote tn_4151 and Adobe TechNote tn_16509
    • application/json: JavaScript Object Notation JSON; Defined in RFC 4627
  • Type audio: Audio
  • Type example
  • Type image
  • Type message
  • Type model: 3D models
  • Type multipart: Archives and other objects made of more than one part
    • multipart/mixed: MIME E-mail; Defined in RFC 2045 and RFC 2046
    • multipart/alternative: MIME E-mail; Defined in RFC 2045 and RFC 2046
    • multipart/related: MIME E-mail; Defined in RFC 2387 and used by MHTML (HTML mail)
  • Type text: Human-readable text and source code
    • text/css: Cascading Style Sheets; Defined in RFC 2318
    • text/html: HTML; Defined in RFC 2854
    • text/javascript (Obsolete): JavaScript; Defined in and obsoleted by RFC 4329 in order to discourage its usage in favor of application/javascript
    • text/plain: Textual data; Defined in RFC 2046 and RFC 3676
    • text/xml: Extensible Markup Language; Defined in RFC 3023
  • Type video: Video

References

  1. ^ "Internet Media Type registration, consistency of use". W3C. 2002-06-03. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
  2. ^ Freed, N. (1996). "RFC 2045 - Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) Part One: Format of Internet Message Bodies". IETF. pp. 15 (section 6.3). Retrieved 2006-11-29. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coathors= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  3. ^ Freed, N. (1996). "RFC 2048 - Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) Part Four: Registration Procedures". IETF. pp. 3-4 (section 2.1.2). Retrieved 2006-11-29. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. ^ http://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/image/png
  5. ^ http://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/image/vnd.microsoft.icon
  6. ^ http://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/video/quicktime

See also

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