What is MIME type "application/vnd.adobe.fla"?

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

application/vnd.adobe.fla is the MIME type for Adobe Flash project files. These files store the full project data used in Flash creation tools. They hold assets, timeline animations, and ActionScript code. This type distinguishes source files from runtime files.

Editable Projects: It contains all media and code used to build and modify Flash animations.
Animation Development: It is designed for timeline-based editing and multimedia integration.
Interactive Content: It organizes elements needed for interactive applications and games.

The file is typically used by Adobe Animate (formerly Adobe Flash Professional). It is not the final format for playback. Instead, projects in this format are usually published into runtime formats like SWF.

Files using this MIME type often have the extensions FLA and SPA.

For more details, please see the Adobe Flash article on Wikipedia.

Associated file extensions

.fla, .spa

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

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


    Content-Type: application/vnd.adobe.fla

HTML

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


    <a href="file.dat" type="application/vnd.adobe.fla">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/vnd.adobe.fla');
      res.end('Content here');
    }).listen(3000);

Associated file extensions

.fla, .spa

FAQ

What is a MIME type?

A MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) type is a standard that indicates the nature and format of a document, file, or assortment of bytes. MIME types are defined and standardized in IETF's RFC 6838.

MIME types are important because they help browsers and servers understand how to process a file. When a browser receives a file from a server, it uses the MIME type to determine how to display or handle the content, whether it's an image to display, a PDF to open in a viewer, or a video to play.

MIME types consist of a type and a subtype, separated by a slash (e.g., text/html, image/jpeg, application/pdf). Some MIME types also include optional parameters.

How do I find the MIME type for a file?

You can check the file extension or use a file identification tool such as file --mime-type on the command line. Many programming languages also provide libraries to detect MIME types.

Why are multiple MIME types listed for one extension?

Different applications and historical conventions may use alternative MIME identifiers for the same kind of file. Showing them all helps ensure compatibility across systems.