Appendix B
Scalable Vector Graphics
Goals

Our work with XML uses the language to encode fairly abstract data - like quiz questions or player identities. We use Flash to convert these into on-screen displays. Typography, layout and illustration -as well as animation and interaction- are employed to create a display which beautifies the data - and hopefully clarifies its meaning.

But there is a huge divide between the XML data and the graphics used to display it. The graphics are in Flash's proprietary encoding: SWF. The graphic data exist in a different address space not directly accessible to the functions that manipulate the XML data.

This divide may disappear. A very well-supported effort is underway to create an XML vocabulary for web graphics. The aim of this effort is universal browser support of a non-proprietary highly sophisticated graphic language that meshes cleanly with the other technologies of the Web.

Vector graphics, typography, and scripting are valued by this consortium. The standard that resulted from their efforts is called Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). Its functionality overlaps the SWF functionality - it has a set of graphic primitives which are similar - but somewhat more sophisticated.

 

UPDATE: 
A recent conversation (Late 2001) with the Product Manager for Adobe LiveMotion made it clear that their commitment to SVG has diminished enormously.  LiveMotion was originally the standard-bearing SVG editor, it is now an alternative tool for creating Macromedia  .SWF files.  Smart (but embarrassing) for Adobe. Bad for SVG.