MIME types set what a file is, or rather what file extensions refer to what file types. For example, a '.html' file extension refers to a HTML document, a '.zip' file extension refers to a ZIP archive file. The server needs to know this so it knows how to deal with the file. This is often used to create custom file extension for common file types.
To setup a MIME type, create a .htaccess file following the main instructions and guidance which includes the following text:
'AddType' specifies that you are adding a MIME type. The second part is the MIME type, in this case text or HTML, and the final part is the file extension, in this example 'htm0'.
A common issue with MP3 or SWF files not playing can be resolved with the following text:
| AddType application/x-shockwave-flash swf |
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A handy trick, to force a file to be downloaded, via the 'Save As' feature in the web browser, set the MIME type to application/octet-stream and the browser will immediately prompt for download. Note, this does not work consistently in some versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Here is a list of various MIME types and some associations:
AddType text/html .html .htm
AddType text/plain .txt
AddType text/richtext .rtx
AddType text/tab-separated-values .tsv
AddType text/x-setext .etx
AddType text/x-server-parsed-html .shtml .sht
AddType application/macbinhex-40 .hqx
AddType application/netalivelink .nel
AddType application/netalive .net
AddType application/news-message-id
AddType application/news-transmission
AddType application/octet-stream .bin .exe
AddType application/oda .oda
AddType application/pdf .pdf
AddType application/postscript .ai .eps .ps
AddType application/remote-printing
AddType application/rtf .rtf
AddType application/slate
AddType application/zip .zip
AddType application/x-mif .mif
AddType application/wita
AddType application/wordperfect5.1
AddType application/x-csh .csh
AddType application/x-dvi .dvi
AddType application/x-hdf .hdf
AddType application/x-latex .latex
AddType application/x-netcdf .nc .cdf
AddType application/x-sh .sh
AddType application/x-tcl .tcl
AddType application/x-tex .tex
AddType application/x-texinfo .texinfo .texi
AddType application/x-troff .t .tr .roff
AddType application/x-troff-man .man
AddType application/x-troff-me .me
AddType application/x-troff-ms .ms
AddType application/x-wais-source .src
AddType application/x-bcpio .bcpio
AddType application/x-cpio .cpio
AddType application/x-gtar .gtar
AddType application/x-shar .shar
AddType application/x-sv4cpio .sv4cpio
AddType application/x-sv4crc .sv4crc
AddType application/x-tar .tar
AddType application/x-ustar .ustar
AddType application/x-director .dcr
AddType application/x-director .dir
AddType application/x-director .dxr
AddType application/x-onlive .sds
AddType application/x-httpd-cgi .cgi
AddType image/gif .gif .GIF
AddType image/ief .ief
AddType image/jpeg .jpeg .jpg .jpe .JPG
AddType image/tiff .tiff .tif
AddType image/x-cmu-raster .ras
AddType image/x-portable-anymap .pnm
AddType image/x-portable-bitmap .pbm
AddType image/x-portable-graymap .pgm
AddType image/x-portable-pixmap .ppm
AddType image/x-rgb .rgb
AddType image/x-xbitmap .xbm
AddType image/x-xpixmap .xpm
AddType image/x-xwindowdump .xwd
AddType audio/basic .au .snd
AddType audio/x-aiff .aif .aiff .aifc
AddType audio/x-wav .wav
AddType audio/x-pn-realaudio .ram
AddType audio/x-midi .mid
AddType video/mpeg .mpeg .mpg .mpe
AddType video/quicktime .qt .mov
AddType video/x-msvideo .avi
AddType video/x-sgi-movie .movie
AddType message/external-body
AddType message/news
AddType message/partial
AddType message/rfc822
AddType multipart/alternative
AddType multipart/appledouble
AddType multipart/digest
AddType multipart/mixed
AddType multipart/parallel
AddType x-world/x-vrml .wrl |
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