What is SVG?

• An XML language for sophisticated 2-dimensional graphics.
• Similar in scope to Macromedia's Flash, but
  • W3 recommendation (i.e. a standard for all intents and purposes), specs at http://www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/Overview.htm8
  • XML-based instead of binary. I.e. human-readable and interoperable with XHTML, CSS, DOM, SMIL, ...
• Implementations include native SVG in Mozilla (subset), and Adobe SVG viewer plugin
• Features highlights:
  • Anti-aliased rendering
  • Transparency
  • Patterns and gradient fills
  • Clipping to arbitrary paths
  • Nested affine transformations, grouping
  • Sophisticated filter effects
  • Text (no reflow yet)
  • Interactive and dynamic
  • Declarative animations (or alternatively through scripting with e.g. JS)

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Alexander Fritze
Last modified: Fri Feb 7 22:51:12 GMT 2003