Vim's file type detection feature can automatically identify file types based on file extensions and apply corresponding configurations. Enabling file type detection: :filetype on to enable, :filetype plugin on to enable plugins, :filetype indent on to enable indentation. File type configuration files: ~/.vim/ftplugin/ directory for file-type specific configurations, ~/.vim/indent/ directory for indentation configurations, ~/.vim/syntax/ directory for syntax highlighting configurations. Common file types: python, javascript, html, css, json, yaml, markdown, etc. Viewing file type: :set filetype? to view current file type. Manually setting file type: :set filetype=python to set as Python type. File type detection can implement syntax highlighting, auto-indentation, specific plugin loading, etc., and is the foundation of Vim's intelligent editing.