How to get the content/type of a file at runtime

I am trying to determine dynamically the content/type of a input file. If I would be in a windows application I could write code like this (from this blog)

private string GetContentType(string fileName) {
    string contentType = "application/octetstream";
    string ext = System.IO.Path.GetExtension(fileName).ToLower();
    Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey registryKey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.ClassesRoot.OpenSubKey(ext);
    if (registryKey != null &&a开发者_如何学编程mp; registryKey.GetValue("Content Type") != null)
        contentType = registryKey.GetValue("Content Type").ToString();
    return contentType;
} 

What other methods are more suitable for an MVC application?

I would like to use the param within the Controller.File(...) method that receive a filepath and a contentype.

In .Net 4.5 you can use MimeMapping.GetMimeMapping:

string contentType = MimeMapping.GetMimeMapping("someFileName.pdf")
// contentType = "application/pdf"

More information

Important note: This answer was written in 2011, a few years before masterwok's answer was written. Whilst my answer is still acceptable, masterwok's answer is better and more concise. Use and upvote that answer instead. Everything below is for posterity.

I would just use the file extension rather than try to do something clever that may eventually come back to bite you in the arse. :)

The file extension doesn't need to be registered on your system (although I don't know exactly what you're doing with the file...). You could use something like an enum or db table which contains information on acceptable extensions if you want to filter out files.

Please see @Tolgahan's idea on this. I created a C# enum below based on this which should provide people with a starting point should they wish to create a db/enum/xml-based approach to this.

Public enum MimeTypes
{
  [Description("application/postscript")]
  ai,
  [Description("audio/x-aiff")]
  aif,
  [Description("audio/x-aiff")]
  aifc,
  [Description("audio/x-aiff")]
  aiff,
  [Description("text/plain")]
  asc,
  [Description("application/atom+xml")]
  atom,
  [Description("audio/basic")]
  au,
  [Description("video/x-msvideo")]
  avi,
  [Description("application/x-bcpio")]
  bcpio,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  bin,
  [Description("image/bmp")]
  bmp,
  [Description("application/x-netcdf")]
  cdf,
  [Description("image/cgm")]
  cgm,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  class,
  [Description("application/x-cpio")]
  cpio,
  [Description("application/mac-compactpro")]
  cpt,
  [Description("application/x-csh")]
  csh,
  [Description("text/css")]
  css,
  [Description("application/x-director")]
  dcr,
  [Description("video/x-dv")]
  dif,
  [Description("application/x-director")]
  dir,
  [Description("image/vnd.djvu")]
  djv,
  [Description("image/vnd.djvu")]
  djvu,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  dll,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  dmg,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  dms,
  [Description("application/msword")]
  doc,
  [Description("application/xml-dtd")]
  dtd,
  [Description("video/x-dv")]
  dv,
  [Description("application/x-dvi")]
  dvi,
  [Description("application/x-director")]
  dxr,
  [Description("application/postscript")]
  eps,
  [Description("text/x-setext")]
  etx,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  exe,
  [Description("application/andrew-inset")]
  ez,
  [Description("image/gif")]
  gif,
  [Description("application/srgs")]
  gram,
  [Description("application/srgs+xml")]
  grxml,
  [Description("application/x-gtar")]
  gtar,
  [Description("application/x-hdf")]
  hdf,
  [Description("application/mac-binhex40")]
  hqx,
  [Description("text/html")]
  htm,
  [Description("text/html")]
  html,
  [Description("x-conference/x-cooltalk")]
  ice,
  [Description("image/x-icon")]
  ico,
  [Description("text/calendar")]
  ics,
  [Description("image/ief")]
  ief,
  [Description("text/calendar")]
  ifb,
  [Description("model/iges")]
  iges,
  [Description("model/iges")]
  igs,
  [Description("application/x-java-jnlp-file")]
  jnlp,
  [Description("image/jp2")]
  jp2,
  [Description("image/jpeg")]
  jpe,
  [Description("image/jpeg")]
  jpeg,
  [Description("image/jpeg")]
  jpg,
  [Description("application/x-javascript")]
  js,
  [Description("audio/midi")]
  kar,
  [Description("application/x-latex")]
  latex,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  lha,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  lzh,
  [Description("audio/x-mpegurl")]
  m3u,
  [Description("audio/mp4a-latm")]
  m4a,
  [Description("audio/mp4a-latm")]
  m4b,
  [Description("audio/mp4a-latm")]
  m4p,
  [Description("video/vnd.mpegurl")]
  m4u,
  [Description("video/x-m4v")]
  m4v,
  [Description("image/x-macpaint")]
  mac,
  [Description("application/x-troff-man")]
  man,
  [Description("application/mathml+xml")]
  mathml,
  [Description("application/x-troff-me")]
  me,
  [Description("model/mesh")]
  mesh,
  [Description("audio/midi")]
  mid,
  [Description("audio/midi")]
  midi,
  [Description("application/vnd.mif")]
  mif,
  [Description("video/quicktime")]
  mov,
  [Description("video/x-sgi-movie")]
  movie,
  [Description("audio/mpeg")]
  mp2,
  [Description("audio/mpeg")]
  mp3,
  [Description("video/mp4")]
  mp4,
  [Description("video/mpeg")]
  mpe,
  [Description("video/mpeg")]
  mpeg,
  [Description("video/mpeg")]
  mpg,
  [Description("audio/mpeg")]
  mpga,
  [Description("application/x-troff-ms")]
  ms,
  [Description("model/mesh")]
  msh,
  [Description("video/vnd.mpegurl")]
  mxu,
  [Description("application/x-netcdf")]
  nc,
  [Description("application/oda")]
  oda,
  [Description("application/ogg")]
  ogg,
  [Description("image/x-portable-bitmap")]
  pbm,
  [Description("image/pict")]
  pct,
  [Description("chemical/x-pdb")]
  pdb,
  [Description("application/pdf")]
  pdf,
  [Description("image/x-portable-graymap")]
  pgm,
  [Description("application/x-chess-pgn")]
  pgn,
  [Description("image/pict")]
  pic,
  [Description("image/pict")]
  pict,
  [Description("image/png")]
  png,
  [Description("image/x-portable-anymap")]
  pnm,
  [Description("image/x-macpaint")]
  pnt,
  [Description("image/x-macpaint")]
  pntg,
  [Description("image/x-portable-pixmap")]
  ppm,
  [Description("application/vnd.ms-powerpoint")]
  ppt,
  [Description("application/postscript")]
  ps,
  [Description("video/quicktime")]
  qt,
  [Description("image/x-quicktime")]
  qti,
  [Description("image/x-quicktime")]
  qtif,
  [Description("audio/x-pn-realaudio")]
  ra,
  [Description("audio/x-pn-realaudio")]
  ram,
  [Description("image/x-cmu-raster")]
  ras,
  [Description("application/rdf+xml")]
  rdf,
  [Description("image/x-rgb")]
  rgb,
  [Description("application/vnd.rn-realmedia")]
  rm,
  [Description("application/x-troff")]
  roff,
  [Description("text/rtf")]
  rtf,
  [Description("text/richtext")]
  rtx,
  [Description("text/sgml")]
  sgm,
  [Description("text/sgml")]
  sgml,
  [Description("application/x-sh")]
  sh,
  [Description("application/x-shar")]
  shar,
  [Description("model/mesh")]
  silo,
  [Description("application/x-stuffit")]
  sit,
  [Description("application/x-koan")]
  skd,
  [Description("application/x-koan")]
  skm,
  [Description("application/x-koan")]
  skp,
  [Description("application/x-koan")]
  skt,
  [Description("application/smil")]
  smi,
  [Description("application/smil")]
  smil,
  [Description("audio/basic")]
  snd,
  [Description("application/octet-stream")]
  so,
  [Description("application/x-futuresplash")]
  spl,
  [Description("application/x-wais-source")]
  src,
  [Description("application/x-sv4cpio")]
  sv4cpio,
  [Description("application/x-sv4crc")]
  sv4crc,
  [Description("image/svg+xml")]
  svg,
  [Description("application/x-shockwave-flash")]
  swf,
  [Description("application/x-troff")]
  t,
  [Description("application/x-tar")]
  tar,
  [Description("application/x-tcl")]
  tcl,
  [Description("application/x-tex")]
  tex,
  [Description("application/x-texinfo")]
  texi,
  [Description("application/x-texinfo")]
  texinfo,
  [Description("image/tiff")]
  tif,
  [Description("image/tiff")]
  tiff,
  [Description("application/x-troff")]
  tr,
  [Description("text/tab-separated-values")]
  tsv,
  [Description("text/plain")]
  txt,
  [Description("application/x-ustar")]
  ustar,
  [Description("application/x-cdlink")]
  vcd,
  [Description("model/vrml")]
  vrml,
  [Description("application/voicexml+xml")]
  vxml,
  [Description("audio/x-wav")]
  wav,
  [Description("image/vnd.wap.wbmp")]
  wbmp,
  [Description("application/vnd.wap.wbxml")]
  wbmxl,
  [Description("text/vnd.wap.wml")]
  wml,
  [Description("application/vnd.wap.wmlc")]
  wmlc,
  [Description("text/vnd.wap.wmlscript")]
  wmls,
  [Description("application/vnd.wap.wmlscriptc")]
  wmlsc,
  [Description("model/vrml")]
  wrl,
  [Description("image/x-xbitmap")]
  xbm,
  [Description("application/xhtml+xml")]
  xht,
  [Description("application/xhtml+xml")]
  xhtml,
  [Description("application/vnd.ms-excel")]
  xls,
  [Description("application/xml")]
  xml,
  [Description("image/x-xpixmap")]
  xpm,
  [Description("application/xml")]
  xsl,
  [Description("application/xslt+xml")]
  xslt,
  [Description("application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml")]
  xul,
  [Description("image/x-xwindowdump")]
  xwd,
  [Description("chemical/x-xyz")]
  xyz,
  [Description("application/zip")]
  zip
}

IDEA: put the formats and extensions data (http://www.feedforall.com/mime-types.htm) into an xml or into your project as dictionary, array or sth else for query and create a procedure for determine mimetype for extension.. i think keeping your data on xml document will be easier for modification after compiling

.NET CORE Using Microsoft.AspNetCore.StaticFiles

var provider = new FileExtensionContentTypeProvider();
string contentType;
if(!provider.TryGetContentType(fileName, out contentType))
{
    contentType = "application/octet-stream";
}

If you want to use stream

    public class urlmonMimeDetect
    {
        [DllImport(@"urlmon.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto)]
        private extern static System.UInt32 FindMimeFromData(
            System.UInt32 pBC,
            [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] System.String pwzUrl,
            [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPArray)] byte[] pBuffer,
            System.UInt32 cbSize,
            [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] System.String pwzMimeProposed,
            System.UInt32 dwMimeFlags,
            out System.UInt32 ppwzMimeOut,
            System.UInt32 dwReserverd
        );

        public static string GetMimeFromFile(Stream fs)
        {

            byte[] buffer = new byte[256];
            fs.Read(buffer, 0, 256);

            try
            {
                System.UInt32 mimetype;
                FindMimeFromData(0, null, buffer, 256, null, 0, out mimetype, 0);
                System.IntPtr mimeTypePtr = new IntPtr(mimetype);
                string mime = Marshal.PtrToStringUni(mimeTypePtr);
                Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(mimeTypePtr);
                return mime;
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                return "unknown/unknown";
            }
        }
    }

Is the file being uploaded to the MVC application?

public ActionResult FileUploader(HttpPostedFileBase upload)
{
  string mimeType=upload.ContentType;
}

There are a couple of caveats with this though.

It uses the browser supplied aka 'client supplied' mime type, if the users uploading items aren't authenticated or trusted, then this might not be a good idea.

Also IE doesn't always give standard Mime types for certain files, in particular PNGs (see What is the difference between "image/png" and "image/x-png"?) which may or may not effect your application.

We just use a simple if statement to convert the IE png mime type (image/x-png), back to the more common one (image/png).

If you are on a linux/unix like system you can use the file command to determine the file type.

There are three sets of tests, performed in this order: filesystem tests, magic number tests, and language tests. The first test that succeeds causes the file type to be printed.

If you're on a Windows machine it is common to use the file extension like you showed in your code.