What is MIME type "application/cdf"?

A MIME type is a string that tells browsers and other tools how to handle a particular kind of file.

application/cdf designates files in the Computable Document Format. These files blend text, graphics, and live computations. They help deliver interactive documents that update content on the fly.

A CDF file is built for dynamic data exploration. It often supports scientific, mathematical, and educational content.

• Interactive Computation: The file executes and displays real-time calculations.
• Dynamic Graphics: It smoothly integrates visuals that users can manipulate.
• Educational Use: Teachers and researchers use it to illustrate complex ideas interactively.
• Data Presentation: It combines data, analysis, and narrative in one file.

Specialized viewers, like the free Wolfram CDF Player, are needed to fully access these interactive features. More technical details are available on Wolfram’s official page.

Associated file extensions

.cdf

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

When serving content with this MIME type, set the Content-Type header:

    Content-Type: application/cdf
  

HTML

In HTML, you can specify the MIME type in various elements:

    <a href="file.dat" type="application/cdf">Download file</a>
  

Server-side (Node.js)

Setting the Content-Type header in Node.js:

    const http = require('http');
    
    http.createServer((req, res) => {
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/cdf');
      res.end('Content here');
    }).listen(3000);
  

Associated file extensions

.cdf