MIME stands for Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions. MIME types form a standard way of classifying file types on the Internet. Internet programs such as Web servers and browsers all have a list of MIME types, so that they can transfer files of the same type in the same way, no matter what operating system they are working in.

A MIME type has two parts: a type and a subtype. They are separated by a slash (/). For example, the MIME type for Microsoft Word files is application and the subtype is msword. Together, the complete MIME type is application/msword.

Although there is a complete list of MIME types, it does not list the extensions associated with the files, nor a description of the file type. This means that if you want to find the MIME type for a certain kind of file, it can be difficult. Sometimes you have to look through the list and make a guess as to the MIME type of the file you are concerned with.

The Sympatico software already has settings for most common MIME types. The Macintosh software is configured for these MIME types, among others:

The Windows version of the Sympatico software comes with extra software, including WinZip and Adobe Acrobat. If you install this extra software, Netscape Communicator will be configured to start WinZip or Acrobat when you download a .zip or Acrobat file, respectively.

The links below have technical information about MIME types.

• Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions
• The MIME Information page

Related questions:

How do I download things from the Internet?
What do the different actions in the Helpers window mean?

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