How to get the content/type of a file at runtime

Question

I am trying to determine dynamically the content/type of a input file. If I would be in a windows application I could write code like this (from this blog)

private string GetContentType(string fileName) {
    string contentType = "application/octetstream";
    string ext = System.IO.Path.GetExtension(fileName).ToLower();
    Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey registryKey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.ClassesRoot.OpenSubKey(ext);
    if (registryKey != null && registryKey.GetValue("Content Type") != null)
        contentType = registryKey.GetValue("Content Type").ToString();
    return contentType;
} 

What other methods are more suitable for an MVC application?

I would like to use the param within the Controller.File(...) method that receive a filepath and a contentype.

Communize

Answer 1

Important note: This answer was written in 2011, a few years before masterwok's answer was written. Whilst my answer is still acceptable, masterwok's answer is better and more concise. Use and upvote that answer instead. Everything below is for posterity.

I would just use the file extension rather than try to do something clever that may eventually come back to bite you in the arse. :)

The file extension doesn't need to be registered on your system (although I don't know exactly what you're doing with the file...). You could use something like an enum or db table which contains information on acceptable extensions if you want to filter out files.

Please see @Tolgahan's idea on this. I created a C# enum below based on this which should provide people with a starting point should they wish to create a db/enum/xml-based approach to this.

Public enum MimeTypes
{
  [Description("application/postscript")]
  ai,
  [Description("audio/x-aiff")]
  aif,
  [Description("audio/x-aiff")]
  aifc,
  [Description("audio/x-aiff")]
  aiff,
  [Description("text/plain")]
  asc,
  [Description("application/atom+xml")]
  atom,
  [Description("audio/basic")]
  au,
  [Description("video/x-msvideo")]
  avi,
  [Description("application/x-bcpio")]
  bcpio,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  bin,
  [Description("image/bmp")]
  bmp,
  [Description("application/x-netcdf")]
  cdf,
  [Description("image/cgm")]
  cgm,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  class,
  [Description("application/x-cpio")]
  cpio,
  [Description("application/mac-compactpro")]
  cpt,
  [Description("application/x-csh")]
  csh,
  [Description("text/css")]
  css,
  [Description("application/x-director")]
  dcr,
  [Description("video/x-dv")]
  dif,
  [Description("application/x-director")]
  dir,
  [Description("image/vnd.djvu")]
  djv,
  [Description("image/vnd.djvu")]
  djvu,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  dll,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  dmg,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  dms,
  [Description("application/msword")]
  doc,
  [Description("application/xml-dtd")]
  dtd,
  [Description("video/x-dv")]
  dv,
  [Description("application/x-dvi")]
  dvi,
  [Description("application/x-director")]
  dxr,
  [Description("application/postscript")]
  eps,
  [Description("text/x-setext")]
  etx,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  exe,
  [Description("application/andrew-inset")]
  ez,
  [Description("image/gif")]
  gif,
  [Description("application/srgs")]
  gram,
  [Description("application/srgs+xml")]
  grxml,
  [Description("application/x-gtar")]
  gtar,
  [Description("application/x-hdf")]
  hdf,
  [Description("application/mac-binhex40")]
  hqx,
  [Description("text/html")]
  htm,
  [Description("text/html")]
  html,
  [Description("x-conference/x-cooltalk")]
  ice,
  [Description("image/x-icon")]
  ico,
  [Description("text/calendar")]
  ics,
  [Description("image/ief")]
  ief,
  [Description("text/calendar")]
  ifb,
  [Description("model/iges")]
  iges,
  [Description("model/iges")]
  igs,
  [Description("application/x-java-jnlp-file")]
  jnlp,
  [Description("image/jp2")]
  jp2,
  [Description("image/jpeg")]
  jpe,
  [Description("image/jpeg")]
  jpeg,
  [Description("image/jpeg")]
  jpg,
  [Description("application/x-javascript")]
  js,
  [Description("audio/midi")]
  kar,
  [Description("application/x-latex")]
  latex,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  lha,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  lzh,
  [Description("audio/x-mpegurl")]
  m3u,
  [Description("audio/mp4a-latm")]
  m4a,
  [Description("audio/mp4a-latm")]
  m4b,
  [Description("audio/mp4a-latm")]
  m4p,
  [Description("video/vnd.mpegurl")]
  m4u,
  [Description("video/x-m4v")]
  m4v,
  [Description("image/x-macpaint")]
  mac,
  [Description("application/x-troff-man")]
  man,
  [Description("application/mathml+xml")]
  mathml,
  [Description("application/x-troff-me")]
  me,
  [Description("model/mesh")]
  mesh,
  [Description("audio/midi")]
  mid,
  [Description("audio/midi")]
  midi,
  [Description("application/vnd.mif")]
  mif,
  [Description("video/quicktime")]
  mov,
  [Description("video/x-sgi-movie")]
  movie,
  [Description("audio/mpeg")]
  mp2,
  [Description("audio/mpeg")]
  mp3,
  [Description("video/mp4")]
  mp4,
  [Description("video/mpeg")]
  mpe,
  [Description("video/mpeg")]
  mpeg,
  [Description("video/mpeg")]
  mpg,
  [Description("audio/mpeg")]
  mpga,
  [Description("application/x-troff-ms")]
  ms,
  [Description("model/mesh")]
  msh,
  [Description("video/vnd.mpegurl")]
  mxu,
  [Description("application/x-netcdf")]
  nc,
  [Description("application/oda")]
  oda,
  [Description("application/ogg")]
  ogg,
  [Description("image/x-portable-bitmap")]
  pbm,
  [Description("image/pict")]
  pct,
  [Description("chemical/x-pdb")]
  pdb,
  [Description("application/pdf")]
  pdf,
  [Description("image/x-portable-graymap")]
  pgm,
  [Description("application/x-chess-pgn")]
  pgn,
  [Description("image/pict")]
  pic,
  [Description("image/pict")]
  pict,
  [Description("image/png")]
  png,
  [Description("image/x-portable-anymap")]
  pnm,
  [Description("image/x-macpaint")]
  pnt,
  [Description("image/x-macpaint")]
  pntg,
  [Description("image/x-portable-pixmap")]
  ppm,
  [Description("application/vnd.ms-powerpoint")]
  ppt,
  [Description("application/postscript")]
  ps,
  [Description("video/quicktime")]
  qt,
  [Description("image/x-quicktime")]
  qti,
  [Description("image/x-quicktime")]
  qtif,
  [Description("audio/x-pn-realaudio")]
  ra,
  [Description("audio/x-pn-realaudio")]
  ram,
  [Description("image/x-cmu-raster")]
  ras,
  [Description("application/rdf+xml")]
  rdf,
  [Description("image/x-rgb")]
  rgb,
  [Description("application/vnd.rn-realmedia")]
  rm,
  [Description("application/x-troff")]
  roff,
  [Description("text/rtf")]
  rtf,
  [Description("text/richtext")]
  rtx,
  [Description("text/sgml")]
  sgm,
  [Description("text/sgml")]
  sgml,
  [Description("application/x-sh")]
  sh,
  [Description("application/x-shar")]
  shar,
  [Description("model/mesh")]
  silo,
  [Description("application/x-stuffit")]
  sit,
  [Description("application/x-koan")]
  skd,
  [Description("application/x-koan")]
  skm,
  [Description("application/x-koan")]
  skp,
  [Description("application/x-koan")]
  skt,
  [Description("application/smil")]
  smi,
  [Description("application/smil")]
  smil,
  [Description("audio/basic")]
  snd,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  so,
  [Description("application/x-futuresplash")]
  spl,
  [Description("application/x-wais-source")]
  src,
  [Description("application/x-sv4cpio")]
  sv4cpio,
  [Description("application/x-sv4crc")]
  sv4crc,
  [Description("image/svg+xml")]
  svg,
  [Description("application/x-shockwave-flash")]
  swf,
  [Description("application/x-troff")]
  t,
  [Description("application/x-tar")]
  tar,
  [Description("application/x-tcl")]
  tcl,
  [Description("application/x-tex")]
  tex,
  [Description("application/x-texinfo")]
  texi,
  [Description("application/x-texinfo")]
  texinfo,
  [Description("image/tiff")]
  tif,
  [Description("image/tiff")]
  tiff,
  [Description("application/x-troff")]
  tr,
  [Description("text/tab-separated-values")]
  tsv,
  [Description("text/plain")]
  txt,
  [Description("application/x-ustar")]
  ustar,
  [Description("application/x-cdlink")]
  vcd,
  [Description("model/vrml")]
  vrml,
  [Description("application/voicexml+xml")]
  vxml,
  [Description("audio/x-wav")]
  wav,
  [Description("image/vnd.wap.wbmp")]
  wbmp,
  [Description("application/vnd.wap.wbxml")]
  wbmxl,
  [Description("text/vnd.wap.wml")]
  wml,
  [Description("application/vnd.wap.wmlc")]
  wmlc,
  [Description("text/vnd.wap.wmlscript")]
  wmls,
  [Description("application/vnd.wap.wmlscriptc")]
  wmlsc,
  [Description("model/vrml")]
  wrl,
  [Description("image/x-xbitmap")]
  xbm,
  [Description("application/xhtml+xml")]
  xht,
  [Description("application/xhtml+xml")]
  xhtml,
  [Description("application/vnd.ms-excel")]
  xls,
  [Description("application/xml")]
  xml,
  [Description("image/x-xpixmap")]
  xpm,
  [Description("application/xml")]
  xsl,
  [Description("application/xslt+xml")]
  xslt,
  [Description("application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml")]
  xul,
  [Description("image/x-xwindowdump")]
  xwd,
  [Description("chemical/x-xyz")]
  xyz,
  [Description("application/zip")]
  zip
}

Holdall

I am trying to return a file from the controller. I am using exactly this method so using the exact content-type/mime-type makes also the client to behave correctly (like rendering the pdf, opening ms word, etc.) – Communize

Then surely you just need to ensure you pass the correct content-disposition header when sending the file to the client. – Holdall

Just using the file extension is not particularly safe if you are worried about security. – Kuehnel

Answer 2

In .Net 4.5 you can use MimeMapping.GetMimeMapping:

string contentType = MimeMapping.GetMimeMapping("someFileName.pdf")
// contentType = "application/pdf"

More information

Loosetongued

Be aware that this question is tagged asp.net and that this MimeMapping is an ASP.net extension (System.Web.MimeMapping) – Dreibund

Any idea how to achieve the opposite? Getting extension from MimeType? – Niobic

@Niobic Many extensions can be represented by a single mime type so the reverse mapping won't always work. – Loosetongued

Answer 3

.NET CORE Using Microsoft.AspNetCore.StaticFiles

var provider = new FileExtensionContentTypeProvider();
string contentType;
if(!provider.TryGetContentType(fileName, out contentType))
{
    contentType = "application/octet-stream";
}

Hekate

This is correct answer for dotnet core era. But still wondering why they don't have some simplistic solution rather than "Try.." kind of method. Though it helped wout using installing any third party plugin etc. in a console application I am working on. Thanks. – Charlottcharlotta

This package is deprecated: nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.AspNetCore.StaticFiles – Gaut

Answer 4

IDEA: put the formats and extensions data (http://www.feedforall.com/mime-types.htm) into an xml or into your project as dictionary, array or sth else for query and create a procedure for determine mimetype for extension.. i think keeping your data on xml document will be easier for modification after compiling

Suppuration

Is there any standard file where I can write all these mime types? – Communize

@Lorenzo: I took the liberty of translating that file into XML - pastebin.com/94ivivP4 – Holdall

Answer 5

If you want to use stream

    public class urlmonMimeDetect
    {
        [DllImport(@"urlmon.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto)]
        private extern static System.UInt32 FindMimeFromData(
            System.UInt32 pBC,
            [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] System.String pwzUrl,
            [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPArray)] byte[] pBuffer,
            System.UInt32 cbSize,
            [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] System.String pwzMimeProposed,
            System.UInt32 dwMimeFlags,
            out System.UInt32 ppwzMimeOut,
            System.UInt32 dwReserverd
        );

        public static string GetMimeFromFile(Stream fs)
        {

            byte[] buffer = new byte[256];
            fs.Read(buffer, 0, 256);

            try
            {
                System.UInt32 mimetype;
                FindMimeFromData(0, null, buffer, 256, null, 0, out mimetype, 0);
                System.IntPtr mimeTypePtr = new IntPtr(mimetype);
                string mime = Marshal.PtrToStringUni(mimeTypePtr);
                Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(mimeTypePtr);
                return mime;
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                return "unknown/unknown";
            }
        }
    }

Victorinavictorine

Answer 6

Is the file being uploaded to the MVC application?

public ActionResult FileUploader(HttpPostedFileBase upload)
{
  string mimeType=upload.ContentType;
}

There are a couple of caveats with this though.

It uses the browser supplied aka 'client supplied' mime type, if the users uploading items aren't authenticated or trusted, then this might not be a good idea.

Also IE doesn't always give standard Mime types for certain files, in particular PNGs (see What is the difference between "image/png" and "image/x-png"?) which may or may not effect your application.

We just use a simple if statement to convert the IE png mime type (image/x-png), back to the more common one (image/png).

Fruin

as you may read from the question I am trying to use it not for upload but for download indeed. I am using it in the context of the Controller.File(...) method call – Communize

Answer 7

If you are on a linux/unix like system you can use the file command to determine the file type.

There are three sets of tests, performed in this order: filesystem tests, magic number tests, and language tests. The first test that succeeds causes the file type to be printed.

If you're on a Windows machine it is common to use the file extension like you showed in your code.

Garfield

On a web application I dont have any of these products installed on the server: word, excel, powerpoint, adobe, etc. so I suppose that no key are available in the registry but maybe I have to register types in the mime type list. How I can do? – Communize