What is MIME type "text/livescript"?

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

The MIME type text/livescript designates files that contain LiveScript code. It tells the system to treat the file’s content as a text script written in LiveScript, which is an early sibling to JavaScript.

LiveScript was once used for adding interactivity to web pages. Now mainstream web scripting mostly uses JavaScript, but text/livescript still marks files meant to be interpreted or compiled from LiveScript.

Main Use Case: Signaling that the file contains LiveScript commands.
It helps web servers negotiate content types and direct browsers to the correct interpreter.
Developers used it to embed dynamic elements in websites before JavaScript became ubiquitous.

Files with this MIME type typically have the extension LS.

For more details on MIME types and how they control content handling, visit MDN Web Docs.

Associated file extensions

.ls

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

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


    Content-Type: text/livescript

HTML

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


    <a href="file.dat" type="text/livescript">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', 'text/livescript');    
      res.end('Content here');    
    }).listen(3000);

Associated file extensions

.ls

FAQs

Can modern web browsers execute text/livescript files?

No, modern browsers like Chrome and Firefox do not execute LiveScript natively. To run this code in a browser, you must compile the .ls files into standard JavaScript (MIME type text/javascript) or use a client-side transpiler library.

How do I configure Apache to serve .ls files correctly?

To ensure your Apache server identifies these files correctly, add the MIME type mapping to your .htaccess or configuration file. Use the directive AddType text/livescript .ls to map the extension to the content type.

Is LiveScript the same thing as JavaScript?

Historically, LiveScript was the original name for JavaScript in Netscape Navigator 2.0 before it was renamed. In modern development, it refers to a distinct functional programming language that compiles into JavaScript, similar to CoffeeScript.

What is the correct file extension for text/livescript?

The standard file extension for this MIME type is .ls. You can learn more about how this extension is handled on our ls page.

How do I add text/livescript support to Nginx?

You can add the support by editing your mime.types file or the server block configuration. Insert text/livescript ls; within the types { ... } block to associate the MIME type with the file extension.

Why is my LiveScript file downloading instead of running?

Since browsers do not natively render or execute text/livescript, they often treat it as an unknown file type or a generic text file. If the server sends a Content-Disposition: attachment header, the browser will force a download.

Should I use text/livescript or application/x-livescript?

While text/livescript is the most common identifier for the source code, you might occasionally see application/x-livescript. However, for web delivery, the best practice is to compile the code and serve the result as standard application/javascript.

General 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.