什么是 MIME TYPE？
一、首先，我们要了解浏览器是如何处理内容的。在浏览器中显示的内容有 HTML、有 XML、有 GIF、还有 Flash ……那么，浏览器是如何区分它们，决定什么内容用什么形式来显示呢？答案是 MIME Type，也就是该资源的媒体类型。
媒体类型通常是通过 HTTP 协议，由 Web 服务器告知浏览器的，更准确地说，是通过 Content-Type 来表示的，例如:
Content-Type: text/HTML
表示内容是 text/HTML 类型，也就是超文本文件。为什么是“text/HTML”而不是“HTML/text”或者别的什么？MIME Type 不是个人指定的，是经过 ietf 组织协商，以 RFC 的形式作为建议的标准发布在网上的，大多数的 Web 服务器和用户代理都会支持这个规范 (顺便说一句，Email 附件的类型也是通过 MIME Type 指定的)。
通常只有一些在互联网上获得广泛应用的格式才会获得一个 MIME Type，如果是某个客户端自己定义的格式，一般只能以 application/x- 开头。
XHTML 正是一个获得广泛应用的格式，因此，在 RFC 3236 中，说明了 XHTML 格式文件的 MIME Type 应该是 application/xHTML+XML。
当然，处理本地的文件，在没有人告诉浏览器某个文件的 MIME Type 的情况下，浏览器也会做一些默认的处理，这可能和你在操作系统中给文件配置的 MIME Type 有关。比如在 Windows 下，打开注册表的“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesMIMEDatabaseContent Type”主键，你可以看到所有 MIME Type 的配置信息。
二、在把输出结果传送到浏览器上的时候，浏览器必须启动适当的应用程序来处理这个输出文档。这可以通过多种类型MIME（多功能网际邮件扩充协议）来完成。在HTTP中，MIME类型被定义在Content-Type header中。
例如，架设你要传送一个Microsoft Excel文件到客户端。那么这时的MIME类型就是“application/vnd.ms-excel”。在大多数实际情况中，这个文件然后将传送给Execl来处理（假设我们设定Execl为处理特殊MIME类型的应用程序）。在ASP中，设定MIME类型的方法是通过Response对象的ContentType属性。
多媒体文件格式MIME
最早的HTTP协议中，并没有附加的数据类型信息，所有传送的数据都被客户程序解释为超文本标记语言HTML 文档，而为了支持多媒体数据类型，HTTP协议中就使用了附加在文档之前的MIME数据类型信息来标识数据类型。
MIME意为多目Internet邮件扩展，它设计的最初目的是为了在发送电子邮件时附加多媒体数据，让邮件客户程序能根据其类型进行处理。然而当它被HTTP协议支持之后，它的意义就更为显著了。它使得HTTP传输的不仅是普通的文本，而变得丰富多彩。
每个MIME类型由两部分组成，前面是数据的大类别，例如声音audio、图象image等，后面定义具体的种类。
常见的MIME类型
超文本标记语言文本 .html,.html text/html
普通文本 .txt text/plain
RTF文本 .rtf application/rtf
GIF图形 .gif image/gif
JPEG图形 .ipeg,.jpg image/jpeg
au声音文件 .au audio/basic
MIDI音乐文件 mid,.midi audio/midi,audio/x-midi
RealAudio音乐文件 .ra, .ram audio/x-pn-realaudio
MPEG文件 .mpg,.mpeg video/mpeg
AVI文件 .avi video/x-msvideo
GZIP文件 .gz application/x-gzip
TAR文件 .tar application/x-tar
Internet中有一个专门组织IANA来确认标准的MIME类型，但Internet发展的太快，很多应用程序等不及IANA来确认他们使用的MIME类型为标准类型。因此他们使用在类别中以x-开头的方法标识这个类别还没有成为标准，例如：x-gzip，x-tar等。事实上这些类型运用的很广泛，已经成为了事实标准。只要客户机和服务器共同承认这个MIME类型，即使它是不标准的类型也没有关系，客户程序就能根据MIME类型，采用具体的处理手段来处理数据。而Web服务器和浏览器（包括操作系统）中，缺省都设置了标准的和常见的MIME类型，只有对于不常见的 MIME类型，才需要同时设置服务器和客户浏览器，以进行识别。
由于MIME类型与文档的后缀相关，因此服务器使用文档的后缀来区分不同文件的MIME类型，服务器中必须定义文档后缀和MIME类型之间的对应关系。而客户程序从服务器上接收数据的时候，它只是从服务器接受数据流，并不了解文档的名字，因此服务器必须使用附加信息来告诉客户程序数据的MIME类型。服务器在发送真正的数据之前，就要先发送标志数据的MIME类型的信息，这个信息使用Content-type关键字进行定义，例如对于HTML文档，服务器将首先发送以下两行MIME标识信息,这个标识并不是真正的数据文件的一部分。
Content-type: text/html
注意，第二行为一个空行，这是必须的，使用这个空行的目的是将MIME信息与真正的数据内容分隔开。
MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) 是描述消息内容类型的因特网标准。
MIME 消息能包含文本、图像、音频、视频以及其他应用程序专用的数据。
官方的 MIME 信息是由 Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) 在下面的文档中提供的：
RFC-822 Standard for ARPA Internet text messages
RFC-2045 MIME Part 1: Format of Internet Message Bodies
RFC-2046 MIME Part 2: Media Types
RFC-2047 MIME Part 3: Header Extensions for Non-ASCII Text
RFC-2048 MIME Part 4: Registration Procedures
RFC-2049 MIME Part 5: Conformance Criteria and Examples
不同的应用程序支持不同的 MIME 类型。
MIME Types
MIME 类型
MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) is an Internet standard for describes message content types.
MIME （ 多用途的网际邮件扩充协议）是用于描述信息内容类型的国际标准。
MIME messages can contain text, images, audio, video, and other application-specific data.
MIME 信息可以包含文本、图像、音频、视频和其他的应用程序细节数据。
Official MIME info is provided by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in the following documents:
官方的MIME信息是由internet工程任务组（IETF）中的下列文档所提供的：
RFC-822 Standard for ARPA Internet text messages [ARPA互连网文本信息标准]
RFC-2045 MIME Part 1: Format of Internet Message Bodies [MIME 第1部分：互联网信息主体的格式]
RFC-2046 MIME Part 2: Media Types [MIME 第2部分：多媒体类型]
RFC-2047 MIME Part 3: Header Extensions for Non-ASCII Text [MIME 第3部分：非ASCII文本的页眉扩展名]
RFC-2048 MIME Part 4: Registration Procedures [MIME 第4部分：注册程序]
RFC-2049 MIME Part 5: Conformance Criteria and Examples [MIME 第5部分：一致性标准和案例]
Different applications support different MIME types.
不同的应用程序支持不同的MIME类型。
The reference below is a list of MIME types supported by Microsoft Internet Information Server version 5.
微软IIS5以上版本支持下面关于MIME类型的参数列表。
MIME Types By Content Type
Content [内容] 类型 中的 MIME 类型
| Type/sub-type 类型/二级类型 |
Extension 扩展名 |
|---|---|
| application/envoy | evy |
| application/fractals | fif |
| application/futuresplash | spl |
| application/hta | hta |
| application/internet-property-stream | acx |
| application/mac-binhex40 | hqx |
| application/msword | doc |
| application/msword | dot |
| application/octet-stream | * |
| application/octet-stream | bin |
| application/octet-stream | class |
| application/octet-stream | dms |
| application/octet-stream | exe |
| application/octet-stream | lha |
| application/octet-stream | lzh |
| application/oda | oda |
| application/olescript | axs |
| application/pdf | |
| application/pics-rules | prf |
| application/pkcs10 | p10 |
| application/pkix-crl | crl |
| application/postscript | ai |
| application/postscript | eps |
| application/postscript | ps |
| application/rtf | rtf |
| application/set-payment-initiation | setpay |
| application/set-registration-initiation | setreg |
| application/vnd.ms-excel | xla |
| application/vnd.ms-excel | xlc |
| application/vnd.ms-excel | xlm |
| application/vnd.ms-excel | xls |
| application/vnd.ms-excel | xlt |
| application/vnd.ms-excel | xlw |
| application/vnd.ms-pkicertstore | sst |
| application/vnd.ms-pkiseccat | cat |
| application/vnd.ms-pkistl | stl |
| application/vnd.ms-powerpoint | pot, |
| application/vnd.ms-powerpoint | pps |
| application/vnd.ms-powerpoint | ppt |
| application/vnd.ms-project | mpp |
| application/vnd.ms-works | wcm |
| application/vnd.ms-works | wdb |
| application/vnd.ms-works | wks |
| application/vnd.ms-works | wps |
| application/winhlp | hlp |
| application/x-bcpio | bcpio |
| application/x-cdf | cdf |
| application/x-compress | z |
| application/x-compressed | tgz |
| application/x-cpio | cpio |
| application/x-csh | csh |
| application/x-director | dcr |
| application/x-director | dir |
| application/x-director | dxr |
| application/x-dvi | dvi |
| application/x-gtar | gtar |
| application/x-gzip | gz |
| application/x-hdf | hdf |
| application/x-internet-signup | ins |
| application/x-internet-signup | isp |
| application/x-iphone | iii |
| application/x-javascript | js |
| application/x-latex | latex |
| application/x-msaccess | mdb |
| application/x-mscardfile | crd |
| application/x-msclip | clp |
| application/x-msdownload | dll |
| application/x-msmediaview | m13 |
| application/x-msmediaview | m14 |
| application/x-msmediaview | mvb |
| application/x-msmetafile | wmf |
| application/x-msmoney | mny |
| application/x-mspublisher | pub |
| application/x-msschedule | scd |
| application/x-msterminal | trm |
| application/x-mswrite | wri |
| application/x-netcdf | cdf |
| application/x-netcdf | nc |
| application/x-perfmon | pma |
| application/x-perfmon | pmc |
| application/x-perfmon | pml |
| application/x-perfmon | pmr |
| application/x-perfmon | pmw |
| application/x-pkcs12 | p12 |
| application/x-pkcs12 | pfx |
| application/x-pkcs7-certificates | p7b |
| application/x-pkcs7-certificates | spc |
| application/x-pkcs7-certreqresp | p7r |
| application/x-pkcs7-mime | p7c |
| application/x-pkcs7-mime | p7m |
| application/x-pkcs7-signature | p7s |
| application/x-sh | sh |
| application/x-shar | shar |
| application/x-stuffit | sit |
| application/x-sv4cpio | sv4cpio |
| application/x-sv4crc | sv4crc |
| application/x-tar | tar |
| application/x-tcl | tcl |
| application/x-tex | tex |
| application/x-texinfo | texi |
| application/x-texinfo | texinfo |
| application/x-troff | roff |
| application/x-troff | t |
| application/x-troff | tr |
| application/x-troff-man | man |
| application/x-troff-me | me |
| application/x-troff-ms | ms |
| application/x-ustar | ustar |
| application/x-wais-source | src |
| application/x-x509-ca-cert | cer |
| application/x-x509-ca-cert | crt |
| application/x-x509-ca-cert | der |
| application/ynd.ms-pkipko | pko |
| application/zip | zip |
| audio/basic | au |
| audio/basic | snd |
| audio/mid | mid |
| audio/mid | rmi |
| audio/mpeg | mp3 |
| audio/x-aiff | aif |
| audio/x-aiff | aifc |
| audio/x-aiff | aiff |
| audio/x-mpegurl | m3u |
| audio/x-pn-realaudio | ra |
| audio/x-pn-realaudio | ram |
| audio/x-wav | wav |
| image/bmp | bmp |
| image/cis-cod | cod |
| image/gif | gif |
| image/ief | ief |
| image/jpeg | jpe |
| image/jpeg | jpeg |
| image/jpeg | jpg |
| image/pipeg | jfif |
| image/svg+xml | svg |
| image/tiff | tif |
| image/tiff | tiff |
| image/x-cmu-raster | ras |
| image/x-cmx | cmx |
| image/x-icon | ico |
| image/x-portable-anymap | pnm |
| image/x-portable-bitmap | pbm |
| image/x-portable-graymap | pgm |
| image/x-portable-pixmap | ppm |
| image/x-rgb | rgb |
| image/x-xbitmap | xbm |
| image/x-xpixmap | xpm |
| image/x-xwindowdump | xwd |
| message/rfc822 | mht |
| message/rfc822 | mhtml |
| message/rfc822 | nws |
| text/css | css |
| text/h323 | 323 |
| text/html | htm |
| text/html | html |
| text/html | stm |
| text/iuls | uls |
| text/plain | bas |
| text/plain | c |
| text/plain | h |
| text/plain | txt |
| text/richtext | rtx |
| text/scriptlet | sct |
| text/tab-separated-values | tsv |
| text/webviewhtml | htt |
| text/x-component | htc |
| text/x-setext | etx |
| text/x-vcard | vcf |
| video/mpeg | mp2 |
| video/mpeg | mpa |
| video/mpeg | mpe |
| video/mpeg | mpeg |
| video/mpeg | mpg |
| video/mpeg | mpv2 |
| video/quicktime | mov |
| video/quicktime | qt |
| video/x-la-asf | lsf |
| video/x-la-asf | lsx |
| video/x-ms-asf | asf |
| video/x-ms-asf | asr |
| video/x-ms-asf | asx |
| video/x-msvideo | avi |
| video/x-sgi-movie | movie |
| x-world/x-vrml | flr |
| x-world/x-vrml | vrml |
| x-world/x-vrml | wrl |
| x-world/x-vrml | wrz |
| x-world/x-vrml | xaf |
| x-world/x-vrml | xof |
按照文件扩展名罗列的Mime类型
| Extension 扩展名 |
Type/sub-type 类型/二级类型 |
|---|---|
| application/octet-stream | |
| 323 | text/h323 |
| acx | application/internet-property-stream |
| ai | application/postscript |
| aif | audio/x-aiff |
| aifc | audio/x-aiff |
| aiff | audio/x-aiff |
| asf | video/x-ms-asf |
| asr | video/x-ms-asf |
| asx | video/x-ms-asf |
| au | audio/basic |
| avi | video/x-msvideo |
| axs | application/olescript |
| bas | text/plain |
| bcpio | application/x-bcpio |
| bin | application/octet-stream |
| bmp | image/bmp |
| c | text/plain |
| cat | application/vnd.ms-pkiseccat |
| cdf | application/x-cdf |
| cer | application/x-x509-ca-cert |
| class | application/octet-stream |
| clp | application/x-msclip |
| cmx | image/x-cmx |
| cod | image/cis-cod |
| cpio | application/x-cpio |
| crd | application/x-mscardfile |
| crl | application/pkix-crl |
| crt | application/x-x509-ca-cert |
| csh | application/x-csh |
| css | text/css |
| dcr | application/x-director |
| der | application/x-x509-ca-cert |
| dir | application/x-director |
| dll | application/x-msdownload |
| dms | application/octet-stream |
| doc | application/msword |
| dot | application/msword |
| dvi | application/x-dvi |
| dxr | application/x-director |
| eps | application/postscript |
| etx | text/x-setext |
| evy | application/envoy |
| exe | application/octet-stream |
| fif | application/fractals |
| flr | x-world/x-vrml |
| gif | image/gif |
| gtar | application/x-gtar |
| gz | application/x-gzip |
| h | text/plain |
| hdf | application/x-hdf |
| hlp | application/winhlp |
| hqx | application/mac-binhex40 |
| hta | application/hta |
| htc | text/x-component |
| htm | text/html |
| html | text/html |
| htt | text/webviewhtml |
| ico | image/x-icon |
| ief | image/ief |
| iii | application/x-iphone |
| ins | application/x-internet-signup |
| isp | application/x-internet-signup |
| jfif | image/pipeg |
| jpe | image/jpeg |
| jpeg | image/jpeg |
| jpg | image/jpeg |
| js | application/x-javascript |
| latex | application/x-latex |
| lha | application/octet-stream |
| lsf | video/x-la-asf |
| lsx | video/x-la-asf |
| lzh | application/octet-stream |
| m13 | application/x-msmediaview |
| m14 | application/x-msmediaview |
| m3u | audio/x-mpegurl |
| man | application/x-troff-man |
| mdb | application/x-msaccess |
| me | application/x-troff-me |
| mht | message/rfc822 |
| mhtml | message/rfc822 |
| mid | audio/mid |
| mny | application/x-msmoney |
| mov | video/quicktime |
| movie | video/x-sgi-movie |
| mp2 | video/mpeg |
| mp3 | audio/mpeg |
| mpa | video/mpeg |
| mpe | video/mpeg |
| mpeg | video/mpeg |
| mpg | video/mpeg |
| mpp | application/vnd.ms-project |
| mpv2 | video/mpeg |
| ms | application/x-troff-ms |
| mvb | application/x-msmediaview |
| nws | message/rfc822 |
| oda | application/oda |
| p10 | application/pkcs10 |
| p12 | application/x-pkcs12 |
| p7b | application/x-pkcs7-certificates |
| p7c | application/x-pkcs7-mime |
| p7m | application/x-pkcs7-mime |
| p7r | application/x-pkcs7-certreqresp |
| p7s | application/x-pkcs7-signature |
| pbm | image/x-portable-bitmap |
| application/pdf | |
| pfx | application/x-pkcs12 |
| pgm | image/x-portable-graymap |
| pko | application/ynd.ms-pkipko |
| pma | application/x-perfmon |
| pmc | application/x-perfmon |
| pml | application/x-perfmon |
| pmr | application/x-perfmon |
| pmw | application/x-perfmon |
| pnm | image/x-portable-anymap |
| pot, | application/vnd.ms-powerpoint |
| ppm | image/x-portable-pixmap |
| pps | application/vnd.ms-powerpoint |
| ppt | application/vnd.ms-powerpoint |
| prf | application/pics-rules |
| ps | application/postscript |
| pub | application/x-mspublisher |
| qt | video/quicktime |
| ra | audio/x-pn-realaudio |
| ram | audio/x-pn-realaudio |
| ras | image/x-cmu-raster |
| rgb | image/x-rgb |
| rmi | audio/mid |
| roff | application/x-troff |
| rtf | application/rtf |
| rtx | text/richtext |
| scd | application/x-msschedule |
| sct | text/scriptlet |
| setpay | application/set-payment-initiation |
| setreg | application/set-registration-initiation |
| sh | application/x-sh |
| shar | application/x-shar |
| sit | application/x-stuffit |
| snd | audio/basic |
| spc | application/x-pkcs7-certificates |
| spl | application/futuresplash |
| src | application/x-wais-source |
| sst | application/vnd.ms-pkicertstore |
| stl | application/vnd.ms-pkistl |
| stm | text/html |
| svg | image/svg+xml |
| sv4cpio | application/x-sv4cpio |
| sv4crc | application/x-sv4crc |
| t | application/x-troff |
| tar | application/x-tar |
| tcl | application/x-tcl |
| tex | application/x-tex |
| texi | application/x-texinfo |
| texinfo | application/x-texinfo |
| tgz | application/x-compressed |
| tif | image/tiff |
| tiff | image/tiff |
| tr | application/x-troff |
| trm | application/x-msterminal |
| tsv | text/tab-separated-values |
| txt | text/plain |
| uls | text/iuls |
| ustar | application/x-ustar |
| vcf | text/x-vcard |
| vrml | x-world/x-vrml |
| wav | audio/x-wav |
| wcm | application/vnd.ms-works |
| wdb | application/vnd.ms-works |
| wks | application/vnd.ms-works |
| wmf | application/x-msmetafile |
| wps | application/vnd.ms-works |
| wri | application/x-mswrite |
| wrl | x-world/x-vrml |
| wrz | x-world/x-vrml |
| xaf | x-world/x-vrml |
| xbm | image/x-xbitmap |
| xla | application/vnd.ms-excel |
| xlc | application/vnd.ms-excel |
| xlm | application/vnd.ms-excel |
| xls | application/vnd.ms-excel |
| xlt | application/vnd.ms-excel |
| xlw | application/vnd.ms-excel |
| xof | x-world/x-vrml |
| xpm | image/x-xpixmap |
| xwd | image/x-xwindowdump |
| z | application/x-compress |
| zip | application/zip |
