Detect MIME type of uploaded file in Ruby

Question

Is there a bullet proof way to detect MIME type of uploaded file in Ruby or Ruby on Rails? I\'m uploading JPEGs and PNGs using SWFupload and content_type is alw

Answer 1

You can use this reliable method base on the magic header of the file :

def get_image_extension(local_file_path)
  png = Regexp.new("\x89PNG".force_encoding("binary"))
  jpg = Regexp.new("\xff\xd8\xff\xe0\x00\x10JFIF".force_encoding("binary"))
  jpg2 = Regexp.new("\xff\xd8\xff\xe1(.*){2}Exif".force_encoding("binary"))
  case IO.read(local_file_path, 10)
  when /^GIF8/
    'gif'
  when /^#{png}/
    'png'
  when /^#{jpg}/
    'jpg'
  when /^#{jpg2}/
    'jpg'
  else
    mime_type = `file #{local_file_path} --mime-type`.gsub("\n", '') # Works on linux and mac
    raise UnprocessableEntity, "unknown file type" if !mime_type
    mime_type.split(':')[1].split('/')[1].gsub('x-', '').gsub(/jpeg/, 'jpg').gsub(/text/, 'txt').gsub(/x-/, '')
  end  
end