Format identification
Assertion of a file or bitstream's format name, MIME media type, and possibly format version.
Format category requiring similar technical metadata, one of audio, document, image, text or video.
Format validation
Determination of a file's consistency with the requirements of the specification(s) governing the file's format.
Metadata extraction
Creation of external copies of metadata (in memory, or serialized to a file or database) that was parsed from a file's header or contents.