---
id: typecode
version: "30.2.0"
license: Apache-2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# typecode — Comprehensive filetype and mimetype detection using libmagic and Pygments.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 127.4K/mo

## What it is and what it does

TypeCode is a file type and MIME type detection library that wraps libmagic and Pygments to identify file formats. It started as a library within scancode-toolkit and provides a unified interface for comprehensive filetype detection across Linux, Windows, and macOS.

The package supports multiple installation modes: the [full] extra bundles libmagic binaries for immediate use, while the minimal install expects libmagic to be provided by the system, environment variables, or a plugin. It integrates with the plugincode system to allow custom libmagic providers, making it flexible for environments with non-standard library locations.

Use it for:

- Identify file types in batch processing pipelines without relying on file extensions.
- Determine MIME types for web servers or content management systems handling user uploads.
- Integrate file type detection into security scanning or compliance tools.
- Classify documents by format in archival or document management workflows.
- Detect and handle PDF and other structured formats via pdfminer.six integration.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Detects file types and MIME types using libmagic and Pygments, with support for multiple detection methods and optional system or bundled libmagic libraries.

Yes. Active maintenance, production-stable status, low install friction, no known vulnerabilities, and permissive licensing make it a solid choice. Install with [full] for immediate use, or [minimal] if your environment already provides libmagic 5.39. Best suited for projects needing reliable file type detection beyond filename inspection.

## Install

pip install typecode
uv add typecode
poetry add typecode

## Installing typecode

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure Python wheel. Actively maintained with recent commits and production-stable status. Five runtime dependencies including attrs, binaryornot, commoncode, pdfminer.six, and plugincode.

License in practice: Apache-2.0 permissive license allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—suitable for most projects.

Quickstart:

pip install typecode

from typecode import identify
result = identify.identify_file('path/to/file')

Requires libmagic 5.39 available either via the [full] extra, system PATH, environment variables (TYPECODE_LIBMAGIC_PATH, TYPECODE_LIBMAGIC_DB_PATH), or a typecode-libmagic plugin.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package's API surface and typical workflows are well-documented beyond the README.
- Performance characteristics when processing large batches of files or unusual formats.
- Specific accuracy or edge-case behavior compared to direct libmagic or Pygments use.

## Package facts

- License: Apache-2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 127.4K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

file type detection, mime type detection, libmagic wrapper, file format identification, magic number detection, filetype classifier, file-identification, libmagic-wrapper

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/typecode) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/typecode/)