MIME types and library metadata
While thinking about library metadata and RESTful web services I got to wondering how many application/+xml MIME types have actually been registered. It turns out that 120 out of the 633 other application/ MIME types.
Does it seem like a generally useful thing to be able to identify metadata representations with MIME types? Rebecca Guenther registered application/marc back in 1997. Maybe we could have application/marc+xml, application/mods+xml, application/dc+xml?
MIME types for established library metadata formats would be useful to use in applications like AtomPub implementations, or say OAI-ORE resource maps that want to identify the format of a particular resource. In general it would be useful to have in RESTful environments where content-negotiation for resources is encouraged.
If you are curious, here is a current (as of Apr 23, 2008) list of registered MIME types that are in the application/*+xml space.
application/atom+xml application/atomcat+xml application/atomsvc+xml application/auth-policy+xml application/beep+xml application/ccxml+xml application/cellml+xml application/cnrp+xml application/conference-info+xml application/cpl+xml application/csta+xml application/CSTAdata+xml application/davmount+xml application/dialog-info+xml application/epp+xml application/im-iscomposing+xml application/kpml-request+xml application/kpml-response+xml application/mbms-associated-procedure-description+xml application/mbms-deregister+xml application/mbms-envelope+xml application/mbms-msk-response+xml application/mbms-msk+xml application/mbms-protection-description+xml application/mbms-reception-report+xml application/mbms-register-response+xml application/mbms-register+xml application/mbms-user-service-description+xml application/media_control+xml application/mediaservercontrol+xml application/oebps-package+xml application/pidf+xml application/pls+xml application/poc-settings+xml application/rdf+xml application/reginfo+xml application/resource-lists+xml application/rlmi+xml application/rls-services+xml application/samlassertion+xml application/samlmetadata+xml application/sbml+xml application/shf+xml application/simple-filter+xml application/smil+xml application/soap+xml application/sparql-results+xml application/spirits-event+xml application/srgs+xml application/ssml+xml application/vnd.3gpp.bsf+xml application/vnd.3gpp2.bcmcsinfo+xml application/vnd.adobe.xdp+xml application/vnd.apple.installer+xml application/vnd.avistar+xml application/vnd.chemdraw+xml application/vnd.criticaltools.wbs+xml application/vnd.ctct.ws+xml application/vnd.eszigno3+xml application/vnd.google-earth.kml+xml application/vnd.HandHeld-Entertainment+xml application/vnd.informedcontrol.rms+xml application/vnd.irepository.package+xml application/vnd.liberty-request+xml application/vnd.llamagraphics.life-balance.exchange+xml application/vnd.marlin.drm.actiontoken+xml application/vnd.marlin.drm.conftoken+xml application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml application/vnd.ms-playready.initiator+xml application/vnd.nokia.conml+xml application/vnd.nokia.iptv.config+xml application/vnd.nokia.landmark+xml application/vnd.nokia.landmarkcollection+xml application/vnd.nokia.n-gage.ac+xml application/vnd.nokia.pcd+xml application/vnd.oma.bcast.associated-procedure-parameter+xml application/vnd.oma.bcast.drm-trigger+xml application/vnd.oma.bcast.imd+xml application/vnd.oma.bcast.notification+xml application/vnd.oma.bcast.sgdd+xml application/vnd.oma.bcast.smartcard-trigger+xml application/vnd.oma.bcast.sprov+xml application/vnd.oma.dd2+xml application/vnd.oma.drm.risd+xml application/vnd.oma.group-usage-list+xml application/vnd.oma.poc.detailed-progress-report+xml application/vnd.oma.poc.final-report+xml application/vnd.oma.poc.groups+xml application/vnd.oma.poc.invocation-descriptor+xml application/vnd.oma.poc.optimized-progress-report+xml application/vnd.oma.xcap-directory+xml application/vnd.omads-email+xml application/vnd.omads-file+xml application/vnd.omads-folder+xml application/vnd.otps.ct-kip+xml application/vnd.poc.group-advertisement+xml application/vnd.pwg-xhtml-print+xml application/vnd.recordare.musicxml+xml application/vnd.solent.sdkm+xml application/vnd.sun.wadl+xml application/vnd.syncml.dm+xml application/vnd.syncml+xml application/vnd.uoml+xml application/vnd.wv.csp+xml application/vnd.wv.ssp+xml application/vnd.zzazz.deck+xml application/voicexml+xml application/watcherinfo+xml application/wsdl+xml application/wspolicy+xml application/xcap-att+xml application/xcap-caps+xml application/xcap-el+xml application/xcap-error+xml application/xcap-ns+xml application/xenc+xml application/xhtml+xml application/xmpp+xml application/xop+xml application/xv+xml