# 12.14 `mimetypes` -- Mapping of filenames to MIME types

The `mimetypes` converts between a filename or URL and the MIME type associated with the filename extension. Conversions are provided from filename to MIME type and from MIME type to filename extension; encodings are not supported for the later conversion.

The functions described below provide the primary interface for this module. If the module has not been initialized, they will call the `init()`.

`guess_type` (filename)
  Guess the type of a file based on its filename or URL, given by filename. The return value is a tuple `(type, encoding)` where type is `None` if the type can't be guessed (no or unknown suffix) or a string of the form `'type/subtype'`, usable for a MIME `content-type` header; and encoding is `None` for no encoding or the name of the program used to encode (e.g. compress or gzip). The encoding is suitable for use as a `content-encoding` header, not as a `content-transfer-encoding` header. The mappings are table driven. Encoding suffixes are case sensitive; type suffixes are first tried case sensitive, then case insensitive.

`guess_extension` (type)
  Guess the extension for a file based on its MIME type, given by type. The return value is a string giving a filename extension, including the leading dot ("`.`"). The extension is not guaranteed to have been associated with any particular data stream, but would be mapped to the MIME type type by `guess_type()`. If no extension can be guessed for type, `None` is returned.

Some additional functions and data items are available for controlling the behavior of the module.

`init` ([files])
  Initialize the internal data structures. If given, files must be a sequence of file names which should be used to augment the default type map. If omitted, the file names to use are taken from `knownfiles`. Each file named in files or `knownfiles` takes precedence over those named before it. Calling `init()` repeatedly is allowed.

`read_mime_types` (filename)
  Load the type map given in the file filename, if it exists. The type map is returned as a dictionary mapping filename extensions, including the leading dot ("`.`"), to strings of the form `'type/subtype'`. If the file filename does not exist or cannot be read, `None` is returned.

`inited`
  Flag indicating whether or not the global data structures have been initialized. This is set to true by `init()`.

`knownfiles`
  List of type map file names commonly installed. These files are typically names "`mime.types`" and are installed in different locations by different packages.

`suffix_map`
  Dictionary mapping suffixes to suffixes. This is used to allow recognition of encoded files for which the encoding and the type are indicated by the same extension. For example, the "`.tgz`" extension is mapped to "`.tar.gz`" to allow the encoding and type to be recognized separately.

`encodings_map`
  Dictionary mapping filename extensions to encoding types.

`types_map`
  Dictionary mapping filename extensions to MIME types.