mime vs http-errors
HTTP Utilities for Node.js Comparison
1 Year
mimehttp-errorsSimilar Packages:
What's HTTP Utilities for Node.js?

The 'http-errors' package is designed to create HTTP error objects that can be used in web applications to handle errors more gracefully. It allows developers to generate errors with specific HTTP status codes and messages, making it easier to manage error responses in APIs and web applications. On the other hand, the 'mime' package is used to determine the MIME type of files based on their extension. It helps developers serve the correct content type in HTTP responses, ensuring that clients can correctly interpret the data being sent. Both packages serve distinct purposes in web development, focusing on error handling and content type management.

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mime93,964,4982,286108 kB03 months agoMIT
http-errors84,897,2331,53218.8 kB164 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: mime vs http-errors

Error Handling

  • mime:

    The 'mime' package does not handle errors directly but can be used to prevent errors related to incorrect content types. By ensuring that the correct MIME type is returned for files, it helps avoid issues where clients cannot properly interpret the data.

  • http-errors:

    The 'http-errors' package simplifies error handling by providing a consistent way to create error objects with specific HTTP status codes. It allows you to throw errors with a message and status code, which can be caught and handled in middleware, ensuring that your application responds with appropriate error messages and codes to clients.

Ease of Use

  • mime:

    The 'mime' package is also straightforward to use, providing a simple API to look up MIME types based on file extensions. It allows developers to easily integrate MIME type detection into their applications without complex configurations.

  • http-errors:

    This package is designed to be easy to use, requiring minimal setup. You can create an error with just a few lines of code, making it a convenient choice for developers looking to implement error handling quickly.

Integration

  • mime:

    The 'mime' package can be integrated into any Node.js application where file serving is required. It works well with static file servers and frameworks like Express, ensuring that the correct content type is set for responses.

  • http-errors:

    'http-errors' integrates seamlessly with Express and other Node.js frameworks, allowing you to throw errors that are automatically formatted for HTTP responses. This integration makes it a popular choice for building RESTful APIs.

Customization

  • mime:

    While 'mime' focuses on providing MIME types, it does not offer extensive customization options. However, you can extend its functionality by adding custom MIME types if necessary.

  • http-errors:

    You can customize error messages and status codes when using 'http-errors', allowing for tailored responses based on the context of the error. This flexibility is beneficial for creating user-friendly error messages in applications.

Performance

  • mime:

    The 'mime' package is optimized for performance, allowing quick lookups of MIME types. It is efficient in serving files, ensuring that the correct content type is returned without introducing delays.

  • http-errors:

    The performance impact of 'http-errors' is minimal, as it primarily creates error objects without heavy processing. It is efficient for applications that require frequent error handling without significant overhead.

How to Choose: mime vs http-errors
  • mime:

    Choose 'mime' if your application requires accurate MIME type detection for serving files. This is essential when dealing with file uploads, downloads, or serving static assets, ensuring that the correct content type is communicated to clients.

  • http-errors:

    Choose 'http-errors' if you need a straightforward way to create and manage HTTP error responses in your web application. It is particularly useful for APIs where you want to provide clear and consistent error messages along with appropriate status codes.

README for mime

Mime

NPM downloads Mime CI

An API for MIME type information.

  • All mime-db types
  • Compact and dependency-free mime's badge
  • Full TS support

[!Note] mime@4 is now latest. If you're upgrading from mime@3, note the following:

  • mime@4 is API-compatible with mime@3, with ~~one~~ two exceptions:
    • Direct imports of mime properties no longer supported
    • mime.define() cannot be called on the default mime object
  • ESM module support is required. ESM Module FAQ.
  • Requires an ES2020 or newer runtime
  • Built-in Typescript types (@types/mime no longer needed)

Installation

npm install mime

Quick Start

For the full version (800+ MIME types, 1,000+ extensions):

import mime from 'mime';

mime.getType('txt');                    // ⇨ 'text/plain'
mime.getExtension('text/plain');        // ⇨ 'txt'

Lite Version mime/lite's badge

mime/lite is a drop-in mime replacement, stripped of unofficial ("prs.*", "x-*", "vnd.*") types:

import mime from 'mime/lite';

API

mime.getType(pathOrExtension)

Get mime type for the given file path or extension. E.g.

mime.getType('js');             // ⇨ 'text/javascript'
mime.getType('json');           // ⇨ 'application/json'

mime.getType('txt');            // ⇨ 'text/plain'
mime.getType('dir/text.txt');   // ⇨ 'text/plain'
mime.getType('dir\\text.txt');  // ⇨ 'text/plain'
mime.getType('.text.txt');      // ⇨ 'text/plain'
mime.getType('.txt');           // ⇨ 'text/plain'

null is returned in cases where an extension is not detected or recognized

mime.getType('foo/txt');        // ⇨ null
mime.getType('bogus_type');     // ⇨ null

mime.getExtension(type)

Get file extension for the given mime type. Charset options (often included in Content-Type headers) are ignored.

mime.getExtension('text/plain');               // ⇨ 'txt'
mime.getExtension('application/json');         // ⇨ 'json'
mime.getExtension('text/html; charset=utf8');  // ⇨ 'html'

mime.getAllExtensions(type)

[!Note] New in mime@4

Get all file extensions for the given mime type.

mime.getAllExtensions('image/jpeg'); // ⇨ Set(3) { 'jpeg', 'jpg', 'jpe' }

Custom Mime instances

The default mime objects are immutable. Custom, mutable versions can be created as follows...

new Mime(type map [, type map, ...])

Create a new, custom mime instance. For example, to create a mutable version of the default mime instance:

import { Mime } from 'mime/lite';

import standardTypes from 'mime/types/standard.js';
import otherTypes from 'mime/types/other.js';

const mime = new Mime(standardTypes, otherTypes);

Each argument is passed to the define() method, below. For example new Mime(standardTypes, otherTypes) is synonomous with new Mime().define(standardTypes).define(otherTypes)

mime.define(type map [, force = false])

[!Note] Only available on custom Mime instances

Define MIME type -> extensions.

Attempting to map a type to an already-defined extension will throw unless the force argument is set to true.

mime.define({'text/x-abc': ['abc', 'abcd']});

mime.getType('abcd');            // ⇨ 'text/x-abc'
mime.getExtension('text/x-abc')  // ⇨ 'abc'

Command Line

Extension -> type

$ mime scripts/jquery.js
text/javascript

Type -> extension

$ mime -r image/jpeg
jpeg