MIME Types allows you to set certain programs to be used for specific extensions.
For example, all files that end in .ram would be set to use Real Player on the user's PC.
Most users do not need to use this feature.
Also, note that you cannot use this feature if you have Frontpage Extensions installed. You would need to use Frontpage itself to perform this function.
In easier-to-understand terms, MIME Types helps your web server to identify what type of file
is being requested by your visitors browsers.
For instance, when the web server gets a request from a
browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape, for a file that ends in .htm, the web server
knows that it is an htm document because that extension is stored in the Mime Type. If the web
server gets a request from a browser for a file that ends in .gif, the web server knows that it
is an image because that too is stored in the Mime Types. This applies to every file, image,
application, etc. that may be requested by a web browser. If the extension is not stored within
the Mime Type, the web server will not recognize it and will not be able to assist the browser
and that particular file type will not be viewable by the user.
Mime types are identified by the server by the following format:
subtype/type extension
For example adding the following two Mime Types will allow users to view ipx images on your web
pages:
application/x-ipscript .ips
application/x-ipix .ipx
application identifies the subtype, x-ipscript identifies the application, and .ips identifies
the extension used for that application.
