What is MIME type "application/x-jsp"?

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

application/x-jsp marks files that use Java Server Pages. It tells the web server to process pages with embedded Java code before sending HTML to the browser.

Main use: Generates dynamic web content by mixing HTML with Java.
Additional use: Handles pages written for Java platforms, such as JSP, which are central to many enterprise web applications.
Extended support: Also applies to pages written in Groovy via GSP, offering similar dynamic capabilities.
Custom functionality: Recognizes custom tag files in TAG format, which help modularize and reuse code.

Technical details:
Files with this MIME type are processed by a servlet container (like Apache Tomcat). The server compiles the page into a servlet. This lets dynamic logic run and produce HTML on the fly.

For further details, please visit Wikipedia on Java Server Pages.

Associated file extensions

.jsp, .gsp, .tag

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

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


    Content-Type: application/x-jsp

HTML

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


    <a href="file.dat" type="application/x-jsp">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/x-jsp');
      res.end('Content here');
    }).listen(3000);

Associated file extensions

.jsp, .gsp, .tag

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.