DATA TYPES

The web operates in a simple client-server fashion: a web browser client requests an object, usually a file, from a web server. When the object is returned to the client information identifying how it should be handled is included. This is how the client knows, for example, that a stream of data should be interpreted as text or image or sound. The data type is indicated using a type and subtype. The type indicates the category, like text or image, and the subtype gives details of the format used, like GIF or JPEG.

The server identifies the data type contained in a file on the server system by the last part of the name. For example, a file containing a GIF image should be given a name ending with .gif. There are a number of common data types built-in to the server, like GIF, JPEG, and HTML, and we have added additional type definitions to support particular applications.

If you need a type that isn't supported you can add it yourself by creating a file called .htaccess in the directory with the file or files in question. Place a line in .htaccess like this:

   AddType  type/subtype  filesuffix

PREDEFINED TYPES

This page was last updated on 2003-05-13. Please direct questions and comments regarding this page to webmaster@www.uky.edu.