Uniform Type Identifiers
Uniform Type Identifiers were introduced by Apple in Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger) as a modern replacement to traditional means for identifying the type of data contained within byte streams such as disk files and the clipboard.
On the Macintosh, 4-character codes known as file types have been used traditionally for this purpose, while filename extensions were (and are still) used on platforms such as Windows and Unix. In adittion to file types and filename extensions, the Internet has introduced mime types for identifying streams of data delivered through the network.
Example: here are some traditional ways for identifying a JPEG image:
- by file type 'JPEG'
- by filename extensions ".jpg" and ".jpeg"
- by mime type "image/jpeg"
In the UTI universe, all these are replaced by a single string: "public.jpeg".
UTIs are plain strings, commonly formed in reverse-DNS notation:
- public.html
- com.adobe.pdf
- com.compuserve.gif
- public.folder
- com.microsoft.word.doc
UTIs also provide a mechanism for the classification of data types. For example, the "public.jpeg" UTI conforms to the "public.image" UTI. This mechanism can be used by applications on Mac OS X for specifying classes of accepted data types in cases such as the file selection dialogs, the pasteboard, and drag-and-drop.
The QDrop plug-in area fully supports this classification mechanism. For example, suppose that a QDrop plug-in area has to be configured to accept drops of image files. Instead of specifying a list of all image UTIs ("public.jpeg", "public.tiff", and so on), the "public.image" UTI can be used and the plug-in area will accept any data type that conforms to the "public.image" UTI.
The tables below contain the majority of UTIs defined by Mac OS X. Note that this list is not exhaustive; third party applications may define UTIs for their own private use and data formats. For example, 4D defines "com.4d.private.text.native" and a few others for use with its pasteboard related commands.
Abstract base types
| UTI | Description | Conforms to |
|---|
| public.item | generic base type for most things (files, directories) | |
| public.content | base type for anything containing user-viewable document content (documents, pasteboard data, and document packages) | |
| public.composite-content | base type for content formats supporting mixed embedded content (i.e., compound documents) | public.content |
| com.apple.application | base type for Mac OS X applications, launchable items | |
| public.message | base type for messages (email, IM, etc.) | |
| public.contact | contact information, e.g. for a person, group, organization | |
| public.archive | an archive of files and directories | |
| public.disk-image | a data item mountable as a volume | public.archive |
Concrete base types
| UTI | Description | Conforms to |
|---|
| public.data | base type for any sort of simple byte stream, including files and in-memory data | public.item |
| public.directory | file system directory (includes packages AND folders) | public.item |
| com.apple.resolvable | anything the Alias Manager can resolve | |
| public.symlink | a symbolic link | public.item, com.apple.resolvable |
| com.apple.mount-point | a volume mount point (resolvable, resolves to the root dir of a volume) | public.item, com.apple.resolvable |
| com.apple.alias-file | a fully-formed alias file | public.data, com.apple.resolvable |
| public.url | The bytes of a URL | public.data |
| public.file-url | The text of a "file:" URL | public.url |
Text types
| UTI | Description | Conforms to |
|---|
| public.text | base type for all text-encoded data, including text with markup (HTML, RTF, etc.) | public.data, public.content |
| public.plain-text | text with no markup, unspecified encoding | public.text |
| public.utf8-plain-text | plain text, UTF-8 encoding | public.plain-text |
| public.utf16-external-plain-text | plain text, UTF-16 encoding, with BOM, or if BOM is not present, has "external representation" byte order (big-endian) | public.plain-text |
| public.utf16-plain-text | plain text, UTF-16 encoding, native byte order, no BOM | public.plain-text |
| public.rtf | Rich Text Format | public.text |
| public.html | HTML, any version | public.text |
| public.xml | generic XML | public.text |
| public.xhtml | XHTML | public.xml |
Composite content types
| UTI | Description | Conforms to |
|---|
| com.adobe.pdf | Adobe PDF | public.data, public.composite-content |
| com.apple.rtfd | Rich Text Format Directory (RTF with content embedding, on-disk format) | com.apple.package, public.composite-content |
| com.apple.flat-rtfd | Flattened RTFD (pasteboard format) | public.data, public.composite-content |
| com.apple.webarchive | The WebKit webarchive format | public.data, public.composite-content |
| com.adobe.postscript | PostScript | public.data, public.composite-content |
| com.adobe.encapsulated-postscript | Encapsulated PostScript | com.adobe.postscript |
| public.presentation | presentation | public.composite-content |
Image content types
| UTI | Description | Conforms to |
|---|
| public.image | abstract image data | public.data, public.content |
| public.jpeg | JPEG image | public.image |
| public.jpeg-2000 | JPEG-2000 image | public.image |
| public.tiff | TIFF image | public.image |
| com.apple.pict | Quickdraw PICT format | public.image |
| com.compuserve.gif | GIF image | public.image |
| public.png | PNG image | public.image |
| com.apple.quicktime-image | QuickTime image format | public.image |
| com.apple.icns | Apple icon data | public.image |
| com.microsoft.bmp | Windows bitmap | public.image |
| com.microsoft.ico | Windows icon data | public.image |
| public.fax | fax | public.image, public.message |
| com.apple.macpaint-image | MacPaint image | public.image |
| public.svg-image | scalable vector graphics (SVG) | public.image |
| public.xbitmap-image | X bitmap image | public.image |
| public.camera-raw-image | camera raw image | public.image |
| com.adobe.photoshop-image | Adobe Photoshop document | public.image |
| com.adobe.illustrator.ai-image | Adobe Illustrator document | public.image |
| com.truevision.tga-image | TGA image | public.image |
| com.sgi.sgi-image | Silicon Graphics image | public.image |
| com.ilm.openexr-image | OpenEXR image | public.image |
| com.kodak.flashpix-image | FlashPix image | public.image |
| com.adobe.raw-image | Adobe raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.canon.crw-raw-image | Canon CRW raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.canon.cr2-raw-image | Canon CR2 raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.canon.tif-raw-image | Canon TIF raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.nikon.raw-image | Nikon raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.olympus.raw-image | Olympus raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.fuji.raw-image | Fuji raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.sony.raw-image | Sony raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.sony.arw-raw-image | Sony ARW raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.konicaminolta.raw-image | Minolta raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.kodak.raw-image | Kodak raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.panasonic.raw-image | Panasonic raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.pentax.raw-image | Pentax raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.leafamerica.raw-image | Leaf raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.leica.raw-image | Leica raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.hasselblad.fff-raw-image | Hasselblad FFF raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
| com.hasselblad.3fr-raw-image | Hasselblad 3FR raw image | public.camera-raw-image |
Audiovisual content types
| UTI | Description | Conforms to |
|---|
| public.audiovisual-content | audio and/or video content | public.data, public.content |
| public.movie | A media format which may contain both video and audio. Corresponds to what users would label a "movie". | public.audiovisual-content |
| public.video | pure video (no audio) | public.movie |
| public.audio | pure audio (no video) | public.audiovisual-content |
| com.apple.quicktime-movie | QuickTime movie | public.movie |
| public.mpeg | MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 movie | public.movie |
| public.mpeg-4 | MPEG-4 movie | public.movie |
| public.mp3 | MP3 audio | public.audio |
| public.mpeg-4-audio | MPEG-4 audio layer (.m4a) | public.mpeg-4, public.audio |
| com.apple.protected-mpeg-4-audio | Apple protected MPEG4 format (.m4p, iTunes music store format) | public.audio |
| public.mpeg-2-video | MPEG-2 video | public.video |
| com.apple.protected-mpeg-4-video | protected MPEG-4 movie | public.movie |
| public.dv-movie | DV movie | public.movie |
| public.avi | AVI movie | public.movie |
| public.3gpp | 3GPP movie | public.movie |
| public.3gpp2 | 3GPP2 movie | public.movie |
| com.microsoft.windows-media-wm | Windows media | public.movie, com.microsoft.advanced-systems-format |
| com.microsoft.windows-media-wmv | Windows media | public.movie, com.microsoft.advanced-systems-format |
| com.microsoft.windows-media-wmp | Windows media | public.movie, com.microsoft.advanced-systems-format |
| com.microsoft.windows-media-wma | Windows media audio | public.audio, com.microsoft.advanced-systems-format |
| com.real.realmedia | RealMedia | public.movie |
| com.real.realaudio | RealMedia audio | public.audio |
| public.ulaw-audio | uLaw audio | public.audio |
| public.au-audio | AU audio | public.audio |
| public.aifc-audio | AIFF-C audio | public.audio |
| public.aiff-audio | AIFF audio | public.aifc-audio |
| public.midi-audio | MIDI audio | public.audio |
| public.downloadable-sound | downloadable sound | public.audio |
| com.apple.coreaudio-format | Apple CoreAudio format | public.audio |
| public.ac3-audio | AC-3 audio | public.audio |
| com.digidesign.sd2-audio | Sound Designer II audio | public.audio |
| com.microsoft.waveform-audio | Waveform audio | public.audio |
| com.soundblaster.soundfont | SoundFont audio | public.audio |
Directory types
| UTI | Description | Conforms to |
|---|
| public.folder | a user-browsable directory (i.e., not a package) | public.directory |
| public.volume | the root folder of a volume/mount point | public.folder |
| com.apple.package | a packaged directory | public.directory |
| com.apple.bundle | a directory conforming to one of the CFBundle layouts | public.directory |
Application types
| UTI | Description | Conforms to |
|---|
| com.apple.application-bundle | a bundled application | com.apple.application, com.apple.bundle, com.apple.package |
| com.apple.application-file | a single-file Carbon/Classic application | com.apple.application, public.data |
Archive types
| UTI | Description | Conforms to |
|---|
| org.gnu.gnu-tar-archive | GNU tar archive | public.data, public.archive |
| public.tar-archive | tar archive | org.gnu.gnu-tar-archive |
| org.gnu.gnu-zip-archive | GZip archive | public.data, public.archive |
| org.gnu.gnu-zip-tar-archive | gzip tar archive | org.gnu.gnu-zip-archive |
| public.bzip2-archive | Bzip2 archive | public.data, public.archive |
| public.tar-bzip2-archive | Bzip2 compressed tar archive | public.bzip2-archive |
| com.apple.binhex-archive | BinHex archive | public.data, public.archive |
| com.apple.macbinary-archive | MacBinary archive | public.data, public.archive |
| com.allume.stuffit-archive | Stuffit archive | public.data, public.archive |
| public.zip-archive | Zip archive | com.pkware.zip-archive |
| com.pkware.zip-archive | PKZip archive | public.zip-archive |
MS Office types
| UTI | Description | Conforms to |
|---|
| com.microsoft.word.doc | Microsoft Word document | public.data, public.composite-content |
| com.microsoft.excel.xls | Microsoft Excel workbook | public.data, public.composite-content |
| com.microsoft.powerpoint.ppt | Microsoft PowerPoint presentation | public.data, public.presentation |
| com.microsoft.word.wordml | Microsoft Word 2003 XML document | public.xml, public.composite-content |
iWork types
| UTI | Description | Conforms to |
|---|
| com.apple.keynote.key | Keynote document | com.apple.package, public.presentation |
| com.apple.iWork.Keynote.key | Keynote document | com.apple.package, public.presentation, com.apple.keynote.key |
| com.apple.keynote.kth | Keynote document | com.apple.package, public.presentation |
| com.apple.iWork.Keynote.kth | Keynote theme | com.apple.package, public.composite-content, com.apple.keynote.kth |
Office Open XML
| UTI | Description | Conforms to |
|---|
| org.openxmlformats.openxml | Office Open XML | public.zip-archive |
| org.openxmlformats.wordprocessingml.document | Office Open XML word processing document | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.composite-content |
| org.openxmlformats.wordprocessingml.document.macroenabled | Office Open XML word processing document (macros enabled) | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.composite-content, public.executable |
| org.openxmlformats.wordprocessingml.template | Office Open XML word processing template | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.composite-content |
| org.openxmlformats.wordprocessingml.template.macroenabled | Office Open XML word processing template (macros enabled) | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.composite-content, public.executable |
| org.openxmlformats.spreadsheetml.sheet | Office Open XML spreadsheet | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.composite-content |
| org.openxmlformats.spreadsheetml.sheet.macroenabled | Office Open XML spreadsheet (macros enabled) | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.composite-content, public.executable |
| org.openxmlformats.spreadsheetml.template | Office Open XML spreadsheet template | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.composite-content |
| org.openxmlformats.spreadsheetml.template.macroenabled | Office Open XML spreadsheet template (macros enabled) | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.composite-content, public.executable |
| org.openxmlformats.presentationml.presentation | Office Open XML presentation | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.presentation |
| org.openxmlformats.presentationml.presentation.macroenabled | Office Open XML presentation (macros enabled) | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.presentation, public.executable |
| org.openxmlformats.presentationml.slideshow | Office Open XML slide show | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.presentation |
| org.openxmlformats.presentationml.slideshow.macroenabled | Office Open XML slide show (macros enabled) | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.presentation, public.executable |
| org.openxmlformats.presentationml.template | Office Open XML presentation template | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.presentation |
| org.openxmlformats.presentationml.template.macroenabled | Office Open XML presentation template (macros enabled) | org.openxmlformats.openxml, public.presentation, public.executable |
OASIS Open Document Format
| UTI | Description | Conforms to |
|---|
| org.oasis-open.opendocument | Open Document | public.zip-archive |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.text | Open Document text | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.composite-content |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.text-template | Open Document text template | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.composite-content |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.graphics | Open Document graphics | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.composite-content |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.graphics-template | Open Document graphics template | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.composite-content |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.presentation | Open Document presentation | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.composite-content |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.presentation-template | Open Document presentation template | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.composite-content |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.spreadsheet | Open Document spreadsheet | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.composite-content |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.spreadsheet-template | Open Document spreadsheet template | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.composite-content |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.chart | Open Document chart | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.composite-content |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.chart-template | Open Document chart template | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.composite-content |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.image | Open Document image | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.image |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.image-template | Open Document image template | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.image |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.formula | Open Document formula | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.content |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.formula-template | Open Document formula template | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.content |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.text-master | Open Document text master | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.composite-content |
| org.oasis-open.opendocument.text-web | Open Document HTML template | org.oasis-open.opendocument, public.composite-content |