Which MIME types are related to file extension ".vcard"?
The .vcard file extension is associated with 3 MIME types:
text/vcard, text/directory, text/x-vcard.
A MIME type is a string that tells browsers and other tools how to handle a particular kind of file.
About .vcard Files
VCARD files are digital text files that store contact information. They use the vCard standard to record details such as names, phone numbers, emails, and addresses.
They have MIME types like text/vcard, text/directory, and text/x-vcard that ensure systems recognize and handle them correctly.
- Purpose: Sharing and storing personal or business contact data.
- Functionality: They are plain text files, which means you can open or edit them with a simple text editor if needed.
- Applications: Used by email clients (e.g., Microsoft Outlook), contact managers, smartphone apps, and other personal information management tools.
- Technical Use: The MIME information makes it easy for operating systems and applications to identify their content and purpose.
Relationship between file extension and MIME type
A file extension is a suffix at the end of a filename that indicates what type of file it is. File extensions help both users and operating systems identify what application should be used to open the file.
File extensions are typically separated from the filename by a period (dot) and consist of 2-4 characters, though they can be longer. For example, in the filename "document.pdf", ".pdf" is the file extension.
File extensions are closely related to MIME types, as they both serve to identify the format of a file. However, while MIME types are used primarily by web browsers and servers, file extensions are used by operating systems and applications.
Associated MIME types
text/vcard, text/directory, text/x-vcard
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 can one extension have multiple MIME types?
Different programs and historical usage may assign various MIME identifiers to the same file format. Listing them together helps maintain compatibility across tools.