Administration - Defining file MIME types

You can include various files in your HelpServer content objects. When the content is browsed, the files are transferred over the Internet. That's where the file's MIME type comes in. The purpose of MIME is to identify file types that are being sent over the Internet. In this way the receiving program (the web browser) can look for a corresponding application to open the file.

A MIME type comes in two parts: a type and a subtype. Common types are Text, Image, Audio, Video, and Application. The subtype holds additional parameters for the receiving Internet application.

HelpServer provides a list of MIME types by file extension. Many applications use file extensions to identify the file type. So, if you have a file with an odd extension and you want to include it in your content you have to add or adapt the MIME type in this list. You do this on HelpServer's 'Administration' window.

Opening the Administration window

Logon to a Workbench with the predefined 'ADMINISTRATOR' user ID or any other user ID that is defined in a user group where the 'Administration' function is allowed. Next, select 'Window>Administration' on the main menu bar of the Workbench window to open the 'Administration' window.

MIME types list

The MIME type list

Next, click on the 'MIME types' task on the left pane. On the right you see the MIME types list.

Adding and changing a MIME type

To add a new MIME type item you click on the 'New' button on top of the pane. A line is added at the top of the list.

Adding a new mime type

Adding and changing a MIME type

If you double click in the cell under the 'File extension' column you can edit it and set the correct file extension. You do the same to specify the associated MIME type (type/subtype).

Make sure you enter the correct values, there is no validation here.

The project gallery

This is used by the HelpServer Workbench to neatly organize all the files in different galleries of your projects.

Mime types - The process type

Setting the process type

Click in a cell under the 'Project gallery' column to select the correct item in the drop down list.

The project gallery is most of the time related to the MIME type (I.e Text, Image, Audio, Video, and Application). However, there are exceptions. For example video files with the '.swf' extensions have the 'Application' MIME type, but because these are video's it makes more sense to put them in the 'Video' gallery.

Mime types - Relation process type - mime type

The project gallery - MIME type relationship

Only downloadable

Any web browser from recent history can open images, audio, and video files. Application and text files however cannot always be opened in the web browser. In that case the 'Only downloadable' option applies to the MIME type. If this option is selected it prevents the browser from trying to open the files related to this MIME type. Instead, the only possible action in the web browser is downloading the file.

Mime types - Only download

Marking a file as Only downloadable

This option is not applicable for images, audio, and video. Also, if the MIME type is unknown, then the related files are by default only downloadable.

Use the 'Only downloadable' option in the MIME type if you want to use HelpServer to distribute application and text files over the Internet.