mime vs mime-types
MIME Type Libraries Comparison
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What's MIME Type Libraries?

MIME type libraries are essential in web development for handling the types of files being served over the internet. They help in determining the correct content type for files, which is crucial for proper rendering and handling by web browsers and applications. The 'mime' and 'mime-types' packages serve this purpose but differ in their approaches and features. Understanding these differences can help developers choose the right library for their specific needs, ensuring efficient file type handling in their applications.

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mime72,026,1162,239108 kB012 days agoMIT
mime-types69,498,5721,37622.3 kB1220 days agoMIT
Feature Comparison: mime vs mime-types

MIME Type Lookup

  • mime:

    The 'mime' package provides a simple and efficient way to look up MIME types based on file extensions. It uses a straightforward mapping of extensions to their corresponding MIME types, making it quick to retrieve the type for common file formats without additional overhead.

  • mime-types:

    The 'mime-types' package offers an extensive list of MIME types and supports both file extensions and MIME type lookups. It allows for more complex queries, such as retrieving all extensions associated with a specific MIME type, making it suitable for applications that require comprehensive MIME type management.

Performance

  • mime:

    The 'mime' library is optimized for performance with a minimal footprint, making it ideal for applications where speed is critical. Its lightweight nature ensures that lookups are fast and efficient, which is beneficial for high-traffic applications.

  • mime-types:

    While 'mime-types' is slightly heavier due to its extensive features, it is still performant for most applications. However, the additional functionality may introduce slight overhead compared to the 'mime' library, which could be a consideration for performance-sensitive applications.

Data Structure

  • mime:

    The 'mime' package utilizes a simple object structure for storing MIME types, which allows for quick lookups and easy maintenance. This simplicity makes it easy for developers to understand and modify the library if necessary.

  • mime-types:

    The 'mime-types' package employs a more complex data structure that includes arrays and objects to manage the relationships between MIME types and file extensions. This structure supports advanced features but may require a deeper understanding of the library's internals.

Community and Maintenance

  • mime:

    The 'mime' package has a smaller community and fewer contributors, which may affect the speed of updates and support. However, it is still actively maintained and suitable for projects that do not require frequent changes.

  • mime-types:

    The 'mime-types' package benefits from a larger community and more contributors, leading to more frequent updates and a broader range of support. This makes it a more reliable choice for long-term projects that may need ongoing maintenance.

Use Cases

  • mime:

    The 'mime' package is best suited for smaller applications or scripts where basic MIME type functionality is needed without the complexity of additional features. It is ideal for quick projects or utilities that require minimal setup.

  • mime-types:

    The 'mime-types' package is designed for larger applications that need robust MIME type handling, such as web servers or applications that serve a wide variety of file types. It is suitable for projects that require detailed MIME type management and flexibility.

How to Choose: mime vs mime-types
  • mime:

    Choose 'mime' if you need a lightweight library that focuses on basic MIME type lookups and is easy to integrate into smaller projects. It is suitable for applications that require minimal overhead and straightforward MIME type handling.

  • mime-types:

    Choose 'mime-types' if you require a more comprehensive solution with additional features such as support for file extensions and a more extensive list of MIME types. This package is ideal for larger applications where robust MIME type management is necessary.

Similar Npm Packages to mime

mime is a popular npm package used for parsing and generating MIME types in Node.js applications. It provides a straightforward way to work with media types, allowing developers to easily determine the content type of a file based on its extension or vice versa. This functionality is essential for web applications that need to handle various file types correctly, ensuring that the right content type is served to clients.

While mime is a reliable choice for handling MIME types, there are several alternatives in the npm ecosystem that offer similar functionalities. Here are a few noteworthy options:

  • content-type is a lightweight library that focuses on parsing and formatting Content-Type headers. It provides a simple API for working with content types, making it easy to extract and manipulate media type information from HTTP headers. If your primary need is to handle Content-Type headers in HTTP requests and responses, content-type is a great choice.
  • file-type is a library that detects the file type of a Buffer or a Uint8Array based on its magic numbers. Unlike mime, which relies on file extensions, file-type inspects the actual content of the file to determine its type. This can be particularly useful for applications that need to validate or handle files without relying solely on their extensions.
  • mime-db is a comprehensive database of MIME types and their associated file extensions. It provides a JSON representation of MIME types, which can be useful for applications that need to reference a wide range of media types. While it doesn't provide the same parsing and generation capabilities as mime, it can be a valuable resource for looking up MIME type information.
  • mime-types is another popular library for working with MIME types in Node.js. It offers similar functionality to mime, allowing developers to look up the MIME type of a file based on its extension and vice versa. mime-types is a solid alternative for those who need a straightforward solution for handling MIME types in their applications.

To explore how these packages compare, visit the following link: Comparing content-type vs file-type vs mime vs mime-db vs mime-types.

Similar Npm Packages to mime-types

mime-types is a popular npm package that provides utilities for working with MIME types in Node.js applications. It allows developers to easily retrieve the MIME type associated with a file extension, or vice versa, making it a valuable tool for handling file uploads, serving static files, and ensuring proper content types in HTTP responses. While mime-types is widely used, there are several alternatives available in the npm ecosystem that offer similar functionality. Here are a few notable options:

  • content-type is a lightweight library that focuses on parsing and formatting Content-Type headers. It allows developers to easily manipulate Content-Type strings, making it useful for applications that need to handle HTTP headers. If your primary goal is to work with Content-Type headers rather than file extensions, content-type is a great choice.
  • file-type is a library that detects the file type of a Buffer or a Uint8Array. Unlike mime-types, which relies on file extensions, file-type analyzes the actual content of the file to determine its type. This makes it particularly useful for applications that need to validate or process files based on their content rather than their names.
  • mime is another widely used package that provides a comprehensive mapping of MIME types to file extensions and vice versa. It offers similar functionality to mime-types, but with a different API and additional features. If you're looking for a more extensive set of MIME types and a slightly different approach, mime may be worth considering.
  • mime-db is a database of MIME types and their associated file extensions. It serves as a reference for developers who need to look up MIME types and is often used in conjunction with other libraries like mime and mime-types. If you need a comprehensive list of MIME types for reference purposes, mime-db can be a valuable resource.
  • mime-lookup is a simple library that provides a straightforward way to look up MIME types based on file extensions. It is similar to mime-types but with a more minimalistic approach. If you're looking for a lightweight solution for MIME type lookups, mime-lookup may fit your needs.

To compare these packages, check out the following link: Comparing content-type vs file-type vs mime vs mime-db vs mime-lookup vs mime-types.

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
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