Binary data over HTTP using Content-Type: application/octet-stream encoding overhead

Question

If I send binary data over HTTP using the standard Content-Type: application/octet-stream header, what would be the overhead? ignoring HTTP header - I'm talking about data \ encoding overhead only byte count wise.

Thanks

allo · Accepted Answer · 2015-10-21 08:55:16Z

2

Why should there be any overhead? HTTP does not usually do things like base64 encoding (you may be thinking of e-mail, which mostly uses different 7bit encodings creating a lot of overhead). The content-type header has little to nothing to do with your data encoding, but with how clients try to handle it. with octet-stream the clients will always prompt for a download, even when the file is text/plain from its content.

answered Oct 21, 2015 at 8:55

allo

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2 Comments

sternr Over a year ago

So when I specify octet-stream it doesn't do base64 encoding, rather serve the binary data as is?

Julian Reschke Over a year ago

It has nothing to do with the content type.

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