file · Command reference

`qzx detectFileType`

What it does

Identifies a regular file from bounded content signatures with an optional libmagic refinement and an explicit extension comparison

Command maturity: Alpha

Available for real use and feedback while its interface and behavior can still evolve. This is the current development-checkout assessment. Every future immutable release tag preserves the exact assessment shipped by that version. Available in PyPI 0.2.2.0.8. This page documents the 0.2.2.0.8 alpha development checkout.

Behavior and built-in protections

Inspects without changing state

Direct execution for this operation

Works without invoking native programs

Works without network access

No elevation required by design

This safety classification was reviewed by OpenAI GPT-5.6 Pro against implementation digest sha256:f9e241dd10d94c9035685876dcb2bf8291535aa83b3eaf901099c46a66bea9b1 on 2026-08-25.

Exact syntax

qzx detectFileType <file_path> [detailed_info] [sample_size] [follow_symlinks] --json

Parameters

Swipe or use the horizontal scrollbar to see every column.

Name	Type	Required	Default	Description
file_path	str	Yes	Not declared	Path to the regular file to identify
detailed_info	bool	No	false	Include categories, sample evidence, and detector details
sample_size	int	No	65536	Total content sample budget in bytes (64 through 16777216)
follow_symlinks	bool	No	false	Follow reviewed symbolic-link or junction components to their resolved regular-file target

Input examples

qzx detectFileType image.jpg

Identify a file from its contents rather than its name

qzx detectFileType unknown.bin true

Include detailed detector and sampling evidence

qzx detectFileType reviewed-link false 65536 true

Identify the resolved target of an explicitly reviewed link

For the complete structured payload, add --json: qzx detectFileType <file_path> [detailed_info] [sample_size] [follow_symlinks] --json

Representative output example

This illustrative JSON is derived from the current implementation-backed result contract. It shows what the command can return without claiming a recorded execution; values vary with inputs, host, permissions, and optional tools.

Example command: qzx detectFileType image.jpg --json

{
    "success": true,
    "message": "Identifies a regular file from bounded content signatures with an optional libmagic refinement and an explicit extension comparison. In this illustrative example, the command completed successfully.",
    "meta": {
        "command": "detectFileType",
        "command_maturity": {
            "stage": "alpha",
            "label": "Alpha",
            "sequence": 2,
            "public_executable": true,
            "stability": "interface_may_change",
            "summary": "Available for real use and feedback while its interface and behavior can still evolve.",
            "promotion_review_required": false,
            "assessment_scope": "development_checkout"
        },
        "duration_ms": 0,
        "schema_version": 1
    },
    "analyzed_path": "C:\\project\\example.txt",
    "description": "Example value",
    "details": {
        "summary": "Additional structured context is included here."
    },
    "extension": "Example value",
    "extension_matches_content": "Example value",
    "file_path": "C:\\project\\example.txt",
    "file_size": 4096,
    "file_size_readable": "C:\\project\\example.txt",
    "is_binary": true,
    "mime_type": "text/plain",
    "suggested_extension": "Example value",
    "warnings": [
        {
            "name": "example",
            "status": "ok"
        }
    ]
}

View the JSON result contract

{
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "required": [
        "success",
        "message",
        "meta"
    ],
    "properties": {
        "success": {
            "type": "boolean"
        },
        "message": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "meta": {
            "type": "object",
            "required": [
                "command",
                "command_maturity",
                "duration_ms",
                "schema_version"
            ],
            "properties": {
                "command": {
                    "type": "string"
                },
                "command_maturity": {
                    "type": "object",
                    "required": [
                        "stage",
                        "label",
                        "sequence",
                        "public_executable",
                        "stability",
                        "summary",
                        "promotion_review_required",
                        "assessment_scope"
                    ],
                    "properties": {
                        "stage": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "label": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "sequence": {
                            "type": "integer"
                        },
                        "public_executable": {
                            "type": "boolean"
                        },
                        "stability": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "summary": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "promotion_review_required": {
                            "type": "boolean"
                        },
                        "assessment_scope": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "note": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "review": {
                            "type": "object",
                            "required": [
                                "reviewed_on",
                                "rationale",
                                "evidence"
                            ],
                            "properties": {
                                "reviewed_on": {
                                    "type": "string",
                                    "format": "date"
                                },
                                "rationale": {
                                    "type": "string"
                                },
                                "evidence": {
                                    "type": "array",
                                    "minItems": 1,
                                    "items": {
                                        "type": "string"
                                    }
                                },
                                "replacement": {
                                    "type": "string"
                                }
                            },
                            "additionalProperties": false
                        }
                    },
                    "additionalProperties": true
                },
                "duration_ms": {
                    "type": "number"
                },
                "schema_version": {
                    "type": "integer"
                }
            },
            "additionalProperties": true
        },
        "analyzed_path": [],
        "description": [],
        "details": [],
        "error": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "error_code": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "extension": {
            "oneOf": [
                {
                    "type": "string"
                },
                {
                    "type": "null"
                }
            ]
        },
        "extension_matches_content": [],
        "file_path": [],
        "file_size": [],
        "file_size_readable": [],
        "is_binary": [],
        "mime_type": [],
        "suggested_extension": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "warnings": []
    },
    "additionalProperties": true
}

Errors and limits

The public contract requires success=false and a descriptive message on failure. This catalog does not yet declare a command-specific error taxonomy; inspect the result and do not invent error codes.

QZX is alpha software. Optional dependencies, permissions, and host capabilities can change the result.

Evidence workflow: ready for deterministic automated capture.

Evidence and provenance

Implementation: src/qzx/commands/file/detect_file_type.py
Tests: tests/test_file_commands/test_detect_file_type.py
Documentation channel: Development documentation 0.2.2.0.8 · main · sha256:9aa902dfb6b006017e52972bf7871fef49b03ec24ff80741231d743d0354bfc2
Availability: 0.2.2.0.8 or earlier

Keep exploring

These commands also belong to the file category. Compare them to choose the operation that best fits your task.

Explore all QZX commands