YAML media type?
HttpMimeMime TypesYamlHttp Problem Overview
What is the most appropriate media type (formally MIME type) to use when sending data structured with YAML over HTTP and why?
There is no registered application type or text type that I can see.
Example:
> GET /example.yaml
< Content-Type: ????
<
< --- # Favorite movies
< - Casablanca
< - North by Northwest
< - Notorious
Possible options:
-
text/x-yaml
-
text/yaml
-
text/yml
-
application/x-yaml
-
application/x-yml
-
application/yaml
-
application/yml
Http Solutions
Solution 1 - Http
Ruby on Rails uses application/x-yaml
with an alternative of text/yaml
(source).
I think it's just a matter of convention, there is no technical why, as far as I can tell.
Solution 2 - Http
Although another answer was accepted, please refer to this Proposed media type registration for YAML thread on the IANA mailing list for reviewing Media Type in which Ben Harris, University of Cambridge Information Services, proposed in July 2015 on behalf of the YAML team the media type:
text/vnd.yaml
with (suggested) deprecated aliases:
text/yaml
text/x-yaml
application/x-yaml
That is still proposed/pending (the thread does not indicate status of the proposal) so this answer is no more definitive than the others :-)
Solution 3 - Http
I'd say text/x-yaml
:
text
over application
because it's a human-readable
x-yaml
over yaml
because it hasn't been accepted into the registered list of mime types.
Edit: from RFC 3023 (XML Media Types):
> The top-level media type "text" has > some restrictions on MIME entities > and they are described in [RFC2045] > and [RFC2046]. In particular, the > UTF-16 family, UCS-4, and UTF-32 are > not allowed (except over > HTTP[RFC2616], which uses a MIME-like > mechanism).
Interesting... Not exactly sure what it means, but food for thought.
Solution 4 - Http
On Chrome application/yaml
will download, while text/yaml
will display.
Solution 5 - Http
"x-" media types are discouraged, see RFC 4288, Section 3.4. The right thing to do is to use the personal tree, the vendor tree, or to actually attempt a proper media type registration.
Solution 6 - Http
As per MIME Types list it's text/yaml
, even though it's not in official IANA MIME list