JavaScript MIME type?

[Daniel]

I'm working on a CGI script that creates a dynamically generated .js
file. What MIME type should I use? Every site I go to says something
different: text/javascript, application/javascript,
application/x-javascript, or application/ecmascript. Which one is it?

[Michael Winter]

On 20/08/2005 23:56, Daniel wrote:

I'm working on a CGI script that creates a dynamically generated .js
file. What MIME type should I use?

The Content-Type header isn't usually as important as the type
attribute, however the two should match.

The application/ecmascript and application/javascript MIME types were
only recently introduced, so this means that most (all?) user agents
will not recognise them for the time being. As such, you should continue
to use the (officially obsolete) text/javascript type.

Mike

--
Michael Winter
Prefix subject with [News] before replying by e-mail.

[Lachlan Hunt]

Michael Winter wrote:

The application/ecmascript and application/javascript MIME types were
only recently introduced, so this means that most (all?) user agents
will not recognise them for the time being.
Mozilla and Opera recognise application/javascript. I think IE is the
only major browser that doesn't, but I'm not certain about Mac and Linux
browsers. I don't know about application/ecmascript support.
As such, you should continue to use the (officially obsolete) text/javascript type.

Yes, even though text/javascript is now deprecated, it's the only one
that can be safely used in HTML while IE6 is still around. However,
IIRC, IE obeys the type attribute regardless of what the server sends.
Although, it is generally good practice to use the same MIME type in
both places anyway, you can use:

<script type="text/javascript"></script>

and send this in the HTTP headers:

Content-Type: application/javascript; charset=UTF-8

(don't forget to send the correct character encoding information, it
must match the encoding of the file)

--
Lachlan Hunt
http://lachy.id.au/
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[Jim Ley]

On Sun, 21 Aug 2005 01:13:10 GMT, Lachlan Hunt
<sp***********@gmail.com> wrote:

However,
IIRC, IE obeys the type attribute regardless of what the server sends.

Only in the default configuration on XP SP2, although I'm not
completely sure which of many settings actually stops it
unfortunately.

Jim.

[Randy Webb]

Michael Winter said the following on 8/20/2005 7:44 PM:

On 20/08/2005 23:56, Daniel wrote:

I'm working on a CGI script that creates a dynamically generated .js
file. What MIME type should I use?

<snip>
As such, you should continue to use the (officially obsolete) text/javascript type.

IIRC, text/javascript was never a registered mime type to begin with,
was it?

--
Randy
comp.lang.javascript FAQ - http://jibbering.com/faq & newsgroup weekly

[Lachlan Hunt]

Randy Webb wrote:

IIRC, text/javascript was never a registered mime type to begin with,
was it?

It's been both recently registered with IANA [1] and officially
deprecated. This draft [2] has been accepted, but not yet published as
an RFC.

[1] http://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/text/
[2] http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/...t-types-03.txt

--
Lachlan Hunt
http://lachy.id.au/
http://GetFirefox.com/ Rediscover the Web
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[Michael Winter]

On 21/08/2005 02:13, Lachlan Hunt wrote:

Mozilla and Opera recognise application/javascript.

I assume you mean within the Content-Type header? Use with the type
attribute will result in the user agent ignoring the script.

"Recognise" would seem to be an overstatement. If they recognised the
MIME type, it would be usable within the type attribute. Tolerate would
be more accurate, I think.

[snip]

Mike

--
Michael Winter
Prefix subject with [News] before replying by e-mail.

[Lachlan Hunt]

Michael Winter wrote:

On 21/08/2005 02:13, Lachlan Hunt wrote:

Mozilla and Opera recognise application/javascript.
I assume you mean within the Content-Type header? Use with the type
attribute will result in the user agent ignoring the script.

"Recognise" would seem to be an overstatement. If they recognised the
MIME type, it would be usable within the type attribute. Tolerate would
be more accurate, I think.

Yeah, sorry. I knew they accepted it in the Content-Type header and
Deer Park Alpha 2 accepted it in the type attribute, although it seems
that older versions of Mozilla (including Firefox 1.0.x) don't. I also
incorrectly assumed Opera 8.0 supported it in the type attribute.

--
Lachlan Hunt
http://lachy.id.au/
http://GetFirefox.com/ Rediscover the Web
http://GetThunderbird.com/ Reclaim your Inbox

[Daniel]

Maybe the script should recognize the browser and send
"text/javascript" or "application/javascript" depending on which
browser they have?

[Jim Ley]

On 21 Aug 2005 12:38:34 -0700, "Daniel"
<we*******@explodingpickle.org> wrote:

Maybe the script should recognize the browser and send
"text/javascript" or "application/javascript" depending on which
browser they have?

browsers don't advertise their acceptance of javascript mime-types.

Just use text/javascript, it's deprecation is not important until
browsers support others.

Jim.