SVG

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is an XML-based for defining two-dimensional graphics, having support for interactivity and animation. The SVG specification is an open standard developed by the World Wide Web Consortium since 1999. SVG images are defined in a vector graphics format and stored in XML text files. SVG images can thus be scaled in size without loss of quality, and SVG files can be searched, indexed, scripted, and compressed. The XML text files can be created and edited with text editors or vector graphics editors, and are rendered by the most-used web browsers. Early adoption was limited due to lack of support in older versions of Internet Explorer. However, as of 2011, all major desktop browsers began to support SVG. Native browser support offers various advantages, such as not requiring plugins, allowing SVG to be mixed with other content, and improving rendering and scripting reliability. Mobile support for SVG exists in various forms, with different devices and browsers supporting SVG Tiny 1.1 or 1.2. SVG can be produced using vector graphics editors and rendered into raster formats. In web-based applications, Inline SVG allows embedding SVG content within HTML documents. Despite its benefits, SVG can pose security risks if used for images, as it can host scripts or CSS, potentially leading to cross-site scripting attacks or other vulnerabilities. SVG has been in development within the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) since 1999 after six competing proposals for vector graphics languages had been submitted to the consortium during 1998 (see below). The early SVG Working Group decided not to develop any of the commercial submissions, but to create a new markup language that was informed by but not really based on any of them. SVG was developed by the W3C SVG Working Group starting in 1998, after six competing vector graphics submissions were received that year: Web Schematics, from CCLRC PGML, from Adobe Systems, IBM, Netscape and Sun Microsystems VML, by Autodesk, Hewlett-Packard, Macromedia, Microsoft, and Vision Hyper Graphics Markup Language (HGML), by Orange UK and PRP from Boeing, InterCAP Graphics Systems, Inso Corporation, CCLRC, and Xerox DrawML, from Excosoft AB The working group was chaired at the time by Chris Lilley of the W3C.