Future Media Standards & Guidelines

File Extensions Standards v1.07

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  1. Introduction
  2. File extensions for www.bbc.co.uk
  3. File extensions for news.bbc.co.uk
  4. Document history

1. Introduction

1.1. This document specifies valid file extensions served from www.bbc.co.uk and news.bbc.co.uk.

1.2. Other file extensions MUST NOT be used.

1.3. All file extensions MUST be lowercase.

1.4. How to request file extensions to be added to this standard

1.4.1. If your project requires the use of a file extension which is not included in this standard, contact the Editor, NM Standards & Guidelines with a business case to request the file extension be allowed.

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2. File extensions for www.bbc.co.uk

2.1. Text files

2.1.1. The following extensions MUST be used for text files. When using FTP these files SHOULD be uploaded in ASCII.

2.1.2. Files with extensions marked as Parsed are parsed by Apache.

2.1.3. Files with extensions marked as Indexed are indexed for search purposes.

2.1.4. Within the Statistics column, files with no comment are not recorded for statistics purposes. Files with comments are regarded as follows:

PI
Page impressions and unique users
SM
Streamed Media – when served from streaming server
AT
Application Tracking
DL
Downloads
Extension Description Parsed Indexed Statistics
.asx Windows media (ascii metafile for binary .asf streams)      
.banner Page Layout banner Yes    
.carb File required to host Macromedia Director Plug-Ins      
.cfg Configuration file for the sendemail application      
.cgi Common Gateway Interface script     PI
.conf Configuration file (not to be used in FTPspace)      
.crumb Page Layout crumb navigation      
.css Cascading Style sheet      
.csv Comma Separated Value      
.dat Data      
.dtd Document Type Definition      
.graphic Page Layout graphic navigation Yes    
.htaccess Apache configuration      
.htgroup Apache configuration access group      
.htm HTML (deprecated)   Yes PI
.html HTML non-parsed   Yes PI
.htpasswd Apache configuration access password      
.inc Include file (deprecated)      
.jsp Java Servlet Page (only on KIT servers)     PI
.js JavaScript      
.local Page Layout local navigation      
.m3u mp3 playlist No No  
.metric CD-ROM statistics generation file     AT
.nav Nav 4/5 navigation (deprecated)      
.opml structured list of available feeds with associated metadata      
.page Page Layout page (not for general use) Yes    
.pl Perl script     PI
.ppc File required to host Macromedia Director Plug-Ins      
.ram RealMedia pointer (non-embedded redirection)      
.rdf Resource Description Framework metadata      
.rp Real pix      
.rpm RealMedia pointer (embedded redirection)      
.rt Real text      
.rtf Rich Text Format     DL
.section Page Layout section file Yes
.shtml HTML page parsed Yes Yes PI
.site Page Layout site definition Yes    
.smil SMIL      
.ssi Server Side Include      
.sssi Server-parsed Server Side Include Yes  
.tmpl Template      
.tvhtml Web on TV page Yes Yes PI
.tvssi Web on TV Server Side Include Yes    
.txt Text      
.vbs VBScript (only to be used by teams to provide 'generic' plugin scripts, e.g. /cs/jst/mod/1 (iF&L) or /ssitools/etc (NM))      
.vrml Virtual Reality Modelling Language      
.w32 File required to host Macromedia Director Plug-Ins      
.wml Wireless Markup Language Yes   PI
.wmls Wireless Markup Language script      
.wotv Web on TV configuration Yes    
.xml XML      
.xsl XSLT stylesheet      
.xslt XSLT stylesheet (deprecated)      

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2.2. Binary files

2.2.1. The following extensions MUST be used for binary files. When using FTP these files MUST be uploaded in binary mode.

2.2.2. Files with extensions marked as Statistics are considered as valid page impressions for the purpose of reporting usage (as defined by ABCe).

2.2.3. Default MIME types are configured in Apache in a configuration file, usually mime types.

Extension Description MIME Type Searched Statistics
.asf Windows media video/x-ms-asf   SM
.avi AVI video video/x-msvideo   DL
.bin MacOS archive application/octet-stream   DL
.chm Ms Help application/mshelp    
.class Java applet application/octet-stream    
.dcr Macromedia Shockwave application/x-director    
.dir Macromedia Shockwave application/x-director    
.doc Microsoft Word application/msword   DL
.dxr Macromedia Shockwave application/x-director    
.exe Executable (deprecated, except for foreign-language font downloads) application/octet-stream   DL
.eps Encapsulated postcript – for branding usage application/postscript    
.flv Flashvideo video/x-flv No No
.gif Compuserve GIF image image/gif    
.gz Unix archive application/x-gzip   DL
.hlp Ms Help application/mshelp    
.hqx MacOS archive application/mac-binhex40   DL
.ico Icon (used for bookmarks) image/x-icon    
.ipx IPIX application/x-ipix    
.ips IPIX script application/x-ipscript    
.jad Java file (for mobile phones) text/vnd.sun.j2me.app-descriptor    
.jar Java archive application/java-archive    
.jpg JPEG image image/jpeg    
.mid MIDI music audio/midi    
.mov QuickTime movie video/quicktime   DL
.mp3 MP3 audio audio/mpeg   DL
.mpg MPEG video/mpeg   DL
.msi Microsoft installer file application/x-msdownload   DL
.ogg Ogg Vorbis audio application/x-ogg    
.pdf Adobe Portable Document application/pdf   DL
.png PNG image image/png    
.ppt Microsoft Powerpoint application/vnd.ms-powerpoint   DL
.qt QuickTime movie video/quicktime   DL
.ra Real Media (audio-only live stream, deprecated for pre-recorded audio-only content) audio/x-pn-realaudio   SM
.rm Real Media (audio or video) audio/x-pn-realaudio   SM
.sis Sybian install file (mobile) application/vnd.symbian.install    
.sit Stuffit archive application/x-stuffit   DL
.swf Macromedia Flash application/x-shockwave-flash    
.tpg binary-encoded representations of TPEG-ML application/octet-stream    
.tgz Unix archive application/x-tar   DL
.wav Audio audio/x-wav   DL
.wbmp Wireless bitmap image/vnd.wap.wbmp    
.wma Windows Media Audio audio/x-ms-wma   SM, DL
.wrl 3D plugin file model/x3d    
.xls Microsoft Excel application/vnd.ms-excel   DL
.zip Zip archive application/zip   DL
.zook CBBC application files application/octet-stream    

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3. File extensions for news.bbc.co.uk

3.1. Text files

3.1.1. The following extensions MUST be used for text files. When using FTP these files SHOULD be uploaded in ASCII.

3.1.2. Files with extensions marked as Parsed are parsed by Apache.

3.1.3. Files with extensions marked as Indexed are indexed for search purposes.

3.1.4. Files with extensions marked as Statistics are considered as valid page impressions for the purpose of reporting usage (as defined by ABCe).

Extension Description Parsed Indexed Statistics
.css (as for www.bbc.co.uk)      
.form ssi for forms for votes and quizzes Yes    
.inc Parsed ssi Yes    
.js (as for www.bbc.co.uk)      
.plist Data file for legacy quizzes (deprecated)      
.ram (as for www.bbc.co.uk)      
.result ssi for results for votes      
.rpm (as for www.bbc.co.uk)      
.smil (as for www.bbc.co.uk)      
.stm 'News Interactive' page Yes   PI
.txt (as for www.bbc.co.uk)      
.xml (as for www.bbc.co.uk)      

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Below files only for use on application or Dedicated servers

Extension Description Parsed Indexed Statistics
.config data file for votes      
.dat text file for syndication (dedicated servers)      
.form ssi for forms for votes and quizzes Yes    
.form_tplt template for votes      
.pl (as for www.bbc.co.uk)      
.qdata data file for quizzes      
.result ssi for results for votes      
.result_tplt template for results      

3.2. Binary files

3.2.1. The following extensions MUST be used for binary files. When using FTP these files MUST be uploaded in binary mode.

3.2.2. Files with extensions marked as Statistics are considered as valid page impressions for the purpose of reporting usage (as defined by ABCe).

3.2.3. Default MIME types are configured in Apache in a configuration file, usually mime types.

Extension Description MIME Type Searched Statistics
.class (as for www.bbc.co.uk) (as for www.bbc.co.uk)    
.dcr Macromedia Shockwave application/x-director    
.exe Autonomy search wrappers (deprecated) (as for www.bbc.co.uk)    
.gif (as for www.bbc.co.uk) (as for www.bbc.co.uk)    
.jpg (as for www.bbc.co.uk) (as for www.bbc.co.uk)    
.mov (as for www.bbc.co.uk) (as for www.bbc.co.uk)    
.pdf (as for www.bbc.co.uk) (as for www.bbc.co.uk)    
.swf Macromedia Flash (as for www.bbc.co.uk)    

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4. Document history

Date Version Change Author
30/09/2008 v1.07 Updated table in section 2 to include .cfg file types. Victoria Jolliffe
21/06/2006 v1.06 Updated statistics reporting Nick Holmes & Danny Freedman
31/05/2006 v1.05 Added .eps Nick Holmes
10/03/2006 v1.04 Added .sis Nick Holmes
18/11/2005 v1.03 Added extensions for .m3u, .msi, .opml, .tpg, mime-types for .ipx, .ips, descriptions for .wrl and .zook Tred Magill
22/3/2004 v1.02 – external Added extensions for .vbs, .jad; made .wml a server-parsed type Jonathan Hassell, Nick Holmes
07/11/2003 v1.01 Added three extensions – .w32, .ppc, and .carb – which are needed to enable us to host Director plug-ins for download to support any Director apps (first instance, sequenceXtra plug-in for Radio & Music's Drumsteps app)[passed through the Plug-ins mailing list Aug'03] Jonathan Hassell
02/10/2003 v1.00 – external Reformatted for Web Dev Guidelines Jonathan Hassell
05/02/2003 v1.00 Renumbered as 1.00 on the document's approval by the Standards Exec Jonathan Hassell
23/01/2003 v0.845b Change requested by Standards Exec before approval – addition of "(as defined by ABCe)" into statistics info. Jonathan Hassell
02/01/2003 v0.845a Final change (replace FTP space with "extensions served from") as requested by Tech Forum on 20/12/1002 in accepting the document Jonathan Hassell
13/12/2002 v0.845 Final changes made Jonathan Hassell
13/12/2002 v0.844 Made Damion Yates alterations (.asx, .rpm) Jonathan Hassell
06/12/2002 v0.843 Additions after TF deadline from NickH and StephenB Jonathan Hassell
18/11/2002 v0.842a Minor additions to news.bbc.co.uk section Stephen Betts
15/11/2002 v0.842 Correction to FTPspace Jonathan Hassell
15/11/2002 v0.841 Added .metric Jonathan Hassell
14/11/2002 v0.84 Added tables for news.bbc.co.uk Nick Holmes & Jonathan Hassell
14/11/2002 v0.83 Corrections Nick Holmes & Jonathan Hassell
14/11/2002 v0.82 Integrated email comments from working group members; slight reformat for immediacy of communication Jonathan Hassell
09/11/2002 v0.81 Changed ASCII to text, revised to BBC-Broadcast Interactive Operations Added some explanatory text. Various minor changes to formatting. William Cooper
21/10/2002 v0.8 Revised following Web Standards meeting Nick Holmes
07/12/2001 v0.7 Revised following Web Standards meeting  
06/12/2001 v0.6 Revised and reformatted William Cooper
05/12/2001 v0.5 Revised  
04/10/2001 v0.4 Amendments to file extensions  
30/08/2001 v0.3 Amendments to file extensions  
29/08/2001 v0.2 Amendments to file extensions  
23/08/2001 v0.1 Initial Draft Gavin Lennon

Document editor: Editor, Standards & Guidelines. If you have any comments, questions or requests relating to this document, please contact the Editor, Standards & Guidelines.

Like all other Future Media Standards & Guidelines, this page is updated on a regular basis, through the process described on About Standards & Guidelines.

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