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-pretty stuff (glossy photo-like graphics for adverts and PR). SVG just frees you from 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.

You bet. SVG had a lot of early adopters. Now it is in a growth phase, as its benefits are perceived by more and more people and organisations. Tools continue to appear on the market to support SVG. It increases all the time in significance and ability to enable new kinds of Web Application.

* See SVG and HTML for details on how to put SVG into HTML.