PenDraw™
Programmable Web Graphics

SVG??

SVG = Scalable Vector Graphics: it is an international, open standard for vector graphics on the Web, fully approved by W3C (the World-Wide-Web Consortium - the Web 'governors'). SVG frees you from proprietory graphics - and if you know anything about the history of computer graphics, that is huge. Just huge.

Vector graphics has big advantages compared with GIF and JPG bitmap images: for example scalability (no step-laddering, no quality loss, when you zoom in), and generally smaller file sizes. We have known a 20 to 1 reduction in size compared to GIFs, but it varies from application to application. [ Let's not get it out of proportion, though. SVG is not a rival to gifs and jpgs for pretty stuff (glossy photo-like graphics for adverts and PR). SVG just frees yuo frmo having to use gifs and jpgs where they are weak. ]

There's a lot more to it. In vector graphics (SVG) each shape or element is mathematically set out, and the SVG can be embedded* in HTML: thus each element can have its own role within a web page or HTML document. Hence on a web page, individual elements inside an SVG graphic can react to user interaction , or just be something simple like a hyperlink to another web page.

SVG files are text files, just like HTML -- and if you are a web developer, you know the advantages of that.

With SVG you can view graphics just using a web browser. You can print to any printer. You can zoom in and out.

You can make graphics part of your web system. And your graphics can be generated dynamically, from data.

Want to Know More?

For more on SVG, try

• http://www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG

For more on W3C, try

• http://www.w3c.org/

*'Embedding' in HTML

We recommend that you use <object>, not <embed> when you want to put svg in html or xhtml pages. <embed> is deprecated. There have been worries about <object> having security weaknesses with SVG as notified in http://www.greymagic.com/news, but we believe that they have been fixed . We will keep this note updated if things change, and will post any changes in our News.

How Can I View SVG?

You need a browser and an SVG Viewer plug-in.

Well there are two. Adobe and Corel both offer them. Adobe's can print, but limits how much you can zoom. Corel's doesn't print, but does not limit zoom.

• Adobe: http://www.adobe.com/svg/main.html
• Corel: http://www.smartgraphics.com/Viewer_prod_info.shtml

Which is better? We can't say. These are two world class companies offering great facilities absolutely free. What more need be said?

You can only install one or the other plug-in at any one time, normally, but there is a utility to switch between them by a guy called Richard Bennett (respect!). You can check it out at T-http://www.gritechnologies.com/svgswitcher/

How do I generate SVG in web pages?

PenDraw is the best way, if you want dynamic web pages. We really believe that you will find this to be true.

There are routine-packages for Perl, Java, etc. We believe that PenDraw is much more productive than those packages, because PenDraw is a dedicated graphics language, not a bolt-on to a non-graphics language. Programmer productivity was the major stimulus for the invention of PenDraw in the first place, please note. PenDraw has never let us down, in that area.

There are lots of facilities for producing business charts etc. In our experience, their problem is that they all demand interaction. Hence...

• They produce static web pages
• They make you point-and-click
• So you can not use them in an automatic system
• They hold you back in the manual era - How old-fashioned is that?

What About SVG Integration?

Because SVG is defined in XML, it has a long future on the web. XML underpins almost all innovations on the web. Whether technical, commercial, XML is key to much of the future. And that makes investment in SVG is secure.

If you do find that you have other software that produces SVG, PenDraw-produced SVG will co-exist with it naturally and easily.