sindresorhus/file-type
File Type
file-type is a binary file type detector that identifies file extensions and MIME types by analyzing magic numbers and signature bytes in binary data. It functions as a magic number parser and MIME type resolver, mapping binary signatures to standardized media type strings.
The project is an extensible file format identifier that allows for the addition of custom detector plugins to recognize uncommon or non-binary file formats.
The engine supports binary format identification across various data sources, including buffers and data streams. It utilizes a supported format registry and provides mechanisms for asynchronous operation cancellation.
Features
- Magic Byte File Identification - Identifies file types by analyzing header magic bytes to determine the appropriate file extension and MIME type.
- Header-Only Extraction - Reads only the initial bytes of a data stream to identify the file type without loading the entire file into memory.
- MIME Type Detection - Translates binary signatures into standardized internet media types using an internal lookup dictionary.
- MIME Type Detectors - Identifies file extensions and MIME types by analyzing magic numbers and signature bytes in binary data.
- Binary Buffer Inspections - Analyzes raw memory buffers and blobs to detect file signatures across various data sources.
- Binary Stream Analysis - Analyzes incoming binary streams or blobs to identify the file type without needing to save the file first.
- Dynamic MIME Type Resolvers - Maps binary file signatures to their corresponding standardized media type strings.
- Format Detector Plugins - Provides a system to add custom plugins for recognizing uncommon file types or non-binary formats.
- File Format Plugin Support - Allows the addition of specialized plugins to recognize uncommon or proprietary file types.
- Plugin-Based Extensibility - Supports adding new file type definitions through external modules that implement a specific detection interface.
- General Utilities - Detects file types from buffers.
