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SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)

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SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)
NameScalable Vector Graphics
AbbreviationSVG
DeveloperWorld Wide Web Consortium
Initial release1999
File ext.svg, .svgz
TypeVector graphics

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an XML-based vector image format for two-dimensional graphics with support for interactivity and animation. It was developed to provide resolution-independent graphics suitable for web pages, publishing, and technical diagrams, and integrates with standards used by World Wide Web Consortium, Mozilla Foundation, Google LLC, Microsoft Corporation, Apple Inc., and Opera Software in browser implementations. SVG enables precision rendering for devices ranging from mobile displays by Samsung Electronics and Huawei to print systems used by Adobe Systems and Epson.

History

The development of SVG began in the late 1990s as part of work by the World Wide Web Consortium and contributors from companies including Adobe Systems, Sun Microsystems, Microsoft Corporation, IBM, and Netscape Communications Corporation. Early drafts were influenced by predecessors such as PostScript, Encapsulated PostScript, and Portable Document Format used by Adobe Systems. The first W3C Recommendation was published in 2001 following input from groups like W3C WebFonts Working Group and participants from Mozilla Foundation and Opera Software. Subsequent revisions and modules involved organizations such as Khronos Group, Google LLC, and industry implementers like Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics to improve interoperability with standards from WHATWG and features used by Microsoft Research.

Specifications and standards

SVG is specified by the World Wide Web Consortium as an open standard and includes multiple versions and modules. Major milestones include the SVG 1.0 Recommendation, SVG 1.1, and the modular SVG 2 work overseen by W3C groups with contributions from W3C SVG Working Group members affiliated with Mozilla Foundation, Google LLC, Adobe Systems, and Apple Inc.. The format interoperates with other W3C standards like Cascading Style Sheets, Document Object Model, and XML Namespaces, and aligns with media specifications such as HTML5 developed by WHATWG and W3C. Related standards and profiles have been discussed in contexts referenced by organizations including ISO, IETF, and Khronos Group for graphics portability.

File format and structure

An SVG file is an XML document with a root element containing nested elements, attributes, and metadata. Files often include namespace declarations conforming to XML Schema practice and can be compressed to .svgz using Gzip implementations popularized by GNU Project tools. SVG integrates with image formats like PNG, JPEG, WebP, and vector formats such as PostScript and PDF in workflows used by companies like Adobe Systems, Corel Corporation, and Autodesk. Metadata and accessibility features can reference standards from W3C Web Accessibility Initiative and can embed font resources compatible with OpenType and TrueType from vendors like Monotype Imaging and Google Fonts.

Graphic elements and primitives

SVG provides primitives such as , , , , , , and to construct illustrations. These primitives enable geometric constructions similar to those in PostScript and Cairo (graphics) libraries used by GNOME Project and KDE. Complex shapes and reusable components are supported with , , , and , mirroring concepts in vector editors like Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, CorelDRAW, and CAD systems like AutoCAD. SVG also supports text layout with and , enabling typography workflows involving Adobe Fonts, Google LLC, and Monotype Imaging.

Styling and animation

Styling in SVG is driven by Cascading Style Sheets and presentation attributes, with properties paralleling those in HTML5 documents styled by Bootstrap (front-end framework) or Foundation (framework). Animation can be authored declaratively with SMIL-based elements like and , historically debated in standards discussions involving W3C SVG Working Group, Apple Inc., and Mozilla Foundation. CSS animations and Web Animations API implementations from Google LLC and Mozilla Foundation enable scripted timing and transitions, while filters such as Gaussian blur and color matrix relate to effects found in Adobe Photoshop and GIMP used by GNU Project contributors.

Scripting and interaction

Interactive behavior in SVG is implemented with scripting via ECMAScript (commonly JavaScript) and integrates with the Document Object Model to handle events, DOM manipulation, and dynamic rendering. Browser vendors including Google LLC, Mozilla Foundation, Microsoft Corporation, Apple Inc., and Opera Software provide runtime environments and developer tools that expose SVG APIs. Security and sandboxing considerations reference guidance from W3C Web Security Contexts and deployment practices similar to content handling in platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket for source control of SVG assets.

Applications and tooling

SVG is used across web design, iconography, data visualization, cartography, and technical illustration by projects and companies including Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, D3.js, Chart.js, Highcharts, Tableau Software, QGIS, and Esri. Authoring and editing tools include Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, Sketch (software), Figma, CorelDRAW, and Affinity Designer. Toolchains integrate with build systems from Node.js, Webpack, Gulp, and Grunt, and deployment pipelines in services like Netlify, Vercel, and Amazon Web Services. Academic and scientific visualization uses SVG in environments such as Matplotlib, R Project, and Mathematica.

Category:Graphics formats