Uniform Type Identifier
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A Uniform Type Identifier (UTI) is a string defined by Apple Inc. that uniquely identifies the type of a class of items. Added in Apple's Mac OS X 10.3 operating system, UTIs are used to identify the type of files and folders, clipboard data, bundles, aliases and symlinks, and streaming data. Mac OS X's desktop search technology, Spotlight, uses UTIs to categorize documents.
UTIs use a reverse domain structure. UTIs support multiple inheritance allowing multimedia files to be identified as not as single type (as in MIME), but as all the types it is; An identifier can inherit from public.audio, public.video, public.text, public.image, etc.
The public.* domain is only editable by Apple and contains the base data types used by all UTIs.
| Identifier | Conforms to | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| public.item | base class in the physical hierarchy | |
| public.content | base class for all document content | |
| public.data | public.item | base class for all files, byte streams, pasteboard, etc. |
| public.image | public.data, public.content | base class for all images |
UTIs are even used to identify other file type identifiers:
| Identifier | Conforms to | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| public.filename-extension | public.case-insensitive-text | Filename extension. |
| public.mime-type | public.case-insensitive-text | MIME type. |
| com.apple.ostype | public.text | Four-character code (type OSType). |
| com.apple.nspboard-type | public.text | NSPasteboard type. |
[edit] External links
- System-Declared Uniform Type Identifiers
- "Introduction to Uniform Type Identifiers", Apple Developer Documentation
- Ars Technica article on UTIs
Applications
Address Book • Automator • Calculator • Chess • Dashboard • Dictionary • DVD Player • Finder • Front Row • Grapher • iCal • iChat • iSync • iTunes • Mail • Photo Booth • Preview • QuickTime Player • Safari • Sherlock • Stickies • TextEdit
Utilities
Activity Monitor • AirPort Admin Utility • Audio MIDI Setup • Bluetooth File Exchange • BOMArchiveHelper • Classic • ColorSync Utility • Console • Crash Reporter • DigitalColor Meter • Directory Access • DiskImageMounter • Disk Utility • Font Book • Grab • Help Viewer • Image Capture • Installer • Internet Connect • Keychain Access • Migration Assistant • NetInfo Manager • Network Utility • ODBC Administrator • Printer Setup Utility • Software Update • System Preferences • System Profiler • Terminal • Universal Access • VoiceOver • X11
Technology & User interface (future features italicized)
⌘ • ⌥ • Apple Advanced Typography • AppleScript • Aqua • ATSUI • Audio Units • Bonjour • Boot Camp • Carbon • Cocoa • ColorSync • Core Animation • Core Audio • Core Data • Core Foundation • Core Image • Core Video • CUPS • Darwin • Exposé • FileVault • icns • Inkwell • I/O Kit • Keychain • Mach-O • OpenGL • plist • Quartz • QuickTime • Rosetta • Smart folders • Spaces • Spotlight • Time Machine • Uniform Type Identifier • Universal binary • WebKit • Xgrid • XNU
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