Health Level-7 data (.hl7)
.hl7 file signature | application/octet-stream
Health Level Seven (HL7) Standard for electronic data exchange[1]
Magic Bytes
Offset 0
4D 53 48 7C 42 53 48 7C
Sources: Wikipedia
All Known Signatures
2 signature variants are documented for .hl7 files across multiple sources.
| Hex Signature | Offset | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 4D 53 48 7C 42 53 48 7C | 0 | Wikipedia |
| 4D 53 48 7C 5E 7E 5C 26 7C | 0 | Gary Kessler |
Extension
.hl7
MIME Type
application/octet-stream
Byte Offset
0
Risk Level
Safe
Validation Code
How to validate .hl7 files in Python
def is_hl7(file_path: str) -> bool:
"""Check if file is a valid HL7 by magic bytes."""
signature = bytes([0x4D, 0x53, 0x48, 0x7C, 0x42, 0x53, 0x48, 0x7C])
with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
return f.read(8) == signatureHow to validate .hl7 files in Node.js
function isHL7(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
const signature = Buffer.from([0x4D, 0x53, 0x48, 0x7C, 0x42, 0x53, 0x48, 0x7C]);
return buffer.subarray(0, 8).equals(signature);
}How to validate .hl7 files in Go
func IsHL7(data []byte) bool {
signature := []byte{0x4D, 0x53, 0x48, 0x7C, 0x42, 0x53, 0x48, 0x7C}
if len(data) < 8 {
return false
}
return bytes.Equal(data[:8], signature)
}API Endpoint
/api/v1/hl7
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/hl7
See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .hl7 file?
A .hl7 file is a Health Level-7 data file. Health Level Seven (HL7) Standard for electronic data exchange[1]
What are the magic bytes for .hl7 files?
The magic bytes for Health Level-7 data files are 4D 53 48 7C 42 53 48 7C at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.
How do I validate a .hl7 file?
To validate a .hl7 file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (4D 53 48 7C 42 53 48 7C) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.
What is the MIME type for .hl7 files?
There is no officially registered MIME type for .hl7 files. Systems typically use application/octet-stream as a generic fallback when handling this format.
Is it safe to open .hl7 files?
Health Level-7 data (.hl7) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.