Mime type error
MIME types are defined by specific standards and help enable different types of content to be submitted via email. MIME stands for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, and it refers to an Internet Standard that allows non-text attachments, text in sets other than ASCII and message bodies with more than one component to be supported in email messages. Content types that are defined by MIME standards can also be used in other applications other than email. Communication mediums like hypertext transfer protocol, better known as HTTP, often require than information be transmitted in a similar fashion to email and MIME types are used. MIME types are typically intended to assist a web browser in displaying and processing web content. Some of the most common examples of MIME types include, but are not limited to application/x-java-applet for Java™ applets, text/html for normal web pages, and application/pdf for Adobe® PDF documents.
Most Internet browsers will notify web servers which media types they are capable of handling in addition to while media types they have a preference to handle. Web servers will then generate a response to the web browsers by providing the requested MIME or media types. The ability for web browsers and web servers to communicate in this fashion is a critical component to making sure that Internet traffic and communication flows smoothly. In order for HTTP to work properly, web browsers must respect and be able to support whatever MIME type that the web server reports. HTTP specifications refer to a superset of Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions and it refers to the media types that are used on the Internet.
MIME types are extremely important because if a web server incorrectly reports a particular MIME type or fails to report one at all, it is impossible for web browsers to know how the author intends to display his or her content. While many web browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer have tried to correct this problem by providing an estimate of what the correct MIME type should be in a situation where the intent or communication is unclear, critics claim that these well intended policies have only made web administrators lazy and do not encourage them to send out the right information the first time. In many cases, since the browser will just make a guess and then make the necessary accommodations and configurations, many admins may not even know that they are even doing anything wrong in the first place. Guessing MIME types can also result in web administrators and content providers losing control over the manner in which their content is processed, compromising the security of the computers who access
the content in question and violating the HTTP specification.
The best way figure out which MIME type is the best for displaying your content is to look at the instructional materials that came with your new software. Make sure you thoroughly read the documentation to see which MIME type should be used for a particular media type.
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