World Wide Web Consortium Issues Scalable Vector Graphics as a Candidate Recommendation

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Implementation testing the key to Interoperability

Testimonials

 

http://www.w3.org/ -- 2 August 2000 -- The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has issued Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) as a W3C Candidate Recommendation. Advancement of the document to Candidate Recommendation is an invitation to the Web development community at large to make implementations of SVG and provide technical feedback.

Web Designers Need Scalable Vector Graphics

Web designers have requirements for graphics formats which display well on a range of different devices, screen sizes, and printer resolutions. They need rich graphical capabilities, good internationalization, responsive animation and interactive behavior in a way that takes advantage of the growing XML infrastructure used in e-commerce, publishing, and business to business communication.

"Designers are reaching larger audiences with an increasing variety of Web-enabled devices. They need graphics which can be restyled for different purposes," explained Chris Lilley, W3C Graphics Activity Lead. "But most of all, they need to be able to handle their graphics the same way as their text and business data, which nowadays are in XML. SVG is specifically designed to let them do that."

XML Brings Searchability, Dynamism, and Extensibility

Web designers demand vendor-neutral, cross-platform interoperability. W3C's Extensible Markup Language (XML) has become the universal format for document and data interchange on the Web. SVG brings the advantages of XML to the world of vector graphics. It enables the textual content of graphics - from logos to diagrams - to be searched, indexed, and displayed in multiple languages. This is a significant benefit for both accessibility and internationalization.

Related W3C specifications such as the Document Object Model (DOM) allow for easy server-side generation and dynamic, client-side modification of graphics and text. SVG also benefits from W3C technologies such as CSS and XSL style sheets, RDF metadata, SMIL Animation and XML Linking.

In addition to being an excellent format for stand-alone graphics, the full power of SVG is seen when it is combined with other XML grammars; for example to deliver multimedia applications, hold business data, or render mathematical expressions.

Bringing the XML advantage to vector graphics benefits all industries which depend on rich graphics delivery - advertising, electronic commerce, process control, mapping, financial services, and education all have immediate needs for SVG.

W3C Ensures Stability of Developing Technologies, Builds Test Suites

Candidate Recommendation state is an explicit call for implementations to the developer community at large, to use a maturing specification and build applications based on it. There are already many open source and commercial SVG implementations available. W3C is ensuring the whole of the SVG specification can be implemented, thus ensuring cross-vendor, cross-platform interoperability.

W3C is extending its first SVG Test Suite, and updating it to match the Candidate Recommendation of SVG. "We are providing developers with the critical tools they need to check their implementations against the spec," explained Lofton Henderson, editor of the SVG Test Suite. "Test Suites enable developers to make conformant and interoperable applications, which can then be used with confidence by designers."

SVG Enjoys Industry Support, Implementations Available Now

The SVG Working Group consists of key industry and research players including, in alphabetical order: Adobe Systems, AOL/Netscape, Apple, Autodesk, Canon, Corel, CSIRO, Eastman Kodak, Excosoft, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, ILOG, IntraNet Systems, Macromedia, Microsoft, OASIS, Opera, Oxford Brookes University, Quark, Sun Microsystems, and Xerox.

Increasing numbers of drawing tools export to SVG, and SVG can now be viewed on many platforms. Forward-looking designers, who already understand the benefits of vector graphics, are now gaining experience with SVG and XML integration.

SVG will remain in Candidate Recommendation while the working group evaluates implementations for support of each SVG feature, and integrates public feedback.

 


About the World Wide Web Consortium [W3C]

The W3C was created to lead the Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability. It is an international industry consortium jointly run by the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science (MIT LCS) in the USA, the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control (INRIA) in France and Keio University in Japan. Services provided by the Consortium include: a repository of information about the World Wide Web for developers and users, reference code implementations to embody and promote standards, and various prototype and sample applications to demonstrate use of new technology. To date, over 440 organizations are Members of the Consortium. For more information see http://www.w3.org/

 

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Testimonials for Scalable Vector Graphics Candidate Recommendation

Adobe Systems | Apple | BitFlash Inc. | Canon | Corel Corporation | CSIRO | Eastman Kodak Company | IBM | ILOG | IntraNet Solutions | Jasc Software Incorporated | Lexica LLC | Macromedia | OASIS | Oxford Brookes University | Sun Microsystems || In French: Corel Corporation | ILOG || In Japanese: Canon

 

Adobe is extremely pleased that the SVG specification has been approved as a W3C Candidate Recommendation - bringing it an important step closer to Final Recommendation. Because it's built on open standards like XML, SVG will enable designers and programmers to more easily build extensible, dynamic and interactive Web sites. Adobe is committed to helping facilitate SVG's broad adoption. To that end, we will continue to freely distribute the Adobe SVG Viewer and integrate SVG capabilities across our product line - a process that's already begun with the addition of SVG authoring capability to Illustrator 9.0.

-- Ron Okamoto, Senior Director of Product Marketing, Graphics and Dynamic Media, Adobe Systems Incorporated

 

Apple is committed to building the best products for the creative market, and was a key contributor in developing SVG, the new standard for authoring next generation graphics on the web. SVG's support for transparency, ICC profiles and ColorSync will be a natural fit with Quartz, our killer graphics technology in Mac OS X.

-- Philip Schiller, Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing, Apple Computer Incorporated

 

BitFlash Inc. is proud to be an active member of the W3C SVG Working Group. SVG is an integral part of BitFlash's Wireless Graphics Server, powered by the company's ReflexisTM Graphics Engine. We are confident that SVG will have a significant market impact, enabling BitFlash to achieve its goal of bringing rich, desktop-level content to wireless devices and all Internet platforms.

-- Frederic Charpentier, President & Chief Technology Officer, BitFlash Inc.

 

The Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) standards proposal from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) holds the key to unifying the imaging model and semantic structure for printing and Internet display. Canon welcomes SVG becoming Candidate Recommendation and expects it to play an important role as a document format used in the circulation of documents in the Internet era.

-- Satoshi Nagata, Senior General Manager, Digital Office Development Center, Canon Inc.

 

Corel applauds the work of the World Wide Web Consortium on completing the Scalable Vector Graphics specifications. In the 21st century, the computing world will depend on tools that are based upon open standards, are easy to use and work across multiple platforms. We are committed to embracing SVG throughout our graphics applications, including the upcoming CorelDRAW 10 Graphics Suite, and leveraging this emerging technology for Web graphics.

-- Derek J. Burney, Executive Vice-President, Engineering, and Chief Technology Officer, Corel Corporation

 

CSIRO is pleased to have played an important role in the development of Scalable Vector Graphics. SVG opens up new possibilities for delivering map-based information over the Internet. Our experience in geo-spatial applications has allowed us to use this newly emerging standard to provide innovative solutions for Web Mapping. In fact, we're already using the SVG standard to deliver integrated property and planning information for local government authorities over the Internet.

-- David Abel, Science and Industry Manager, CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences, Australia

 

We are very pleased to see that the first release of the SVG specification has reached this significant milestone of Candidate Recommendation. Using SVG, IBM's customers will be able to bring higher-quality graphics to their Web pages, their e-business applications, and the ever-increasing number of Web-enabled mobile devices.The SVG Candidate Recommendation is an important step toward establishing a true vector graphics encoding standard, which IBM supports as a necessity for cross-industry interoperability.

-- Rod Smith, Vice President of Emerging Technologies, IBM

 

ILOG has been involved in definition of SVG since the beginning, and in fact, has one of the first products to support the standard, ILOG JViews 3.0 graphical user interface. With our customers moving applications to the web, SVG will allow for easy interoperability among many different graphics programs. We see this flexibility and interactivity as an extension of our product strengths in those areas, features that have made ILOG GUIs successful in telecom network management, supervision and workflow applications.

-- Patrick Albert, Chief Technology Officer, ILOG

 

As a leader in Web content management solutions and information access technologies, IntraNet Solutions enthusiastically embraces the SVG Candidate Recommendation. Through SVG, our Web content management customers will be able to display diagrams and schematics from a single source document on diverse devices at various resolutions without any degradation of quality. For application developers using our XML-based technologies to access information locked in business documents, the conversion of business graphics to SVG gives them a single industry-standard interface for searching, manipulating and publishing a wide variety of vector formats. As a robust, integrated standard, SVG provides the industry with a powerful tool for breaking down barriers to information access.

-- Scott D. Norder, President, Information Exchange Division, IntraNet Solutions, Inc

 

Scalable Vector Graphics will play an important role in transforming the Web into a truly interactive and visually appealing environment. Jasc Software is pleased to support the World Wide Web Consortium's efforts in creating a vector graphics standard that will be open to all vendors and end-users. Through the use of new and innovative programs such as Jasc Trajectory Pro, Web designers of all levels will be able to fully experience the many benefits and accessibility of SVG.

-- Kris Tufto, CEO, Jasc Software Incorporated

 

Kodak welcomes the advancement of SVG as an important element to enabling both graphical and image-intensive creative web-based applications. Such applications are fundamental to delivering new products and services through our Print@Kodak Internet photofinishing service. SVG will speed the development and expand the use of KODAK applications.

-- Stephen Shaffer, CTO, Internet Fulfillment, Eastman Kodak Company

 

Lexica LLC is a member of the W3C's working group on vector graphics, SVG, and is excited about the potential for advanced graphical and textual content on the web. The Java 2 platform's 2D API, containing a set of graphics, text and imaging features, maps well to the SVG specification. Lexica is very pleased to incorporate SVG into its other Java-based and XML software, which addresses the insurance vertical market. The ability to natively incorporate two kinds of metadata directly into SVG structures permits knowledge-amplified graphical and textual processing on the Web.

-- David Dodds, Senior XML Analyst and SVG working group member, Lexica LLC

 

Macromedia is pleased that the SVG specification has reached Candidate Recommendation. Through the tremendous adoption of Macromedia Flash, we have seen vector graphics become an increasingly important component of the web experience, and SVG will introduce a rich interchange format that can be implemented across tools and technologies.

-- Peter Santangeli, Macromedia

 

Netscape is pleased to see SVG has progressed to Candidate Recommendation. We believe the web user's experience will be greatly enhanced by a vector graphics standard designed specifically for the Web. Many of the raster images on the Web could be replaced with vector graphics that offer compact downloads, device independent resolution, and retention of textual data for searching and indexing. Netscape is working to enable ubiquitous SVG support in browsers and applications through our open-source development initiative.

-- Jim Hamerly, Vice President of Client Product Development, Netscape Communications Corporation

 

OASIS is proud to have contributed to the development of SVG. We believe it will be an important addition to the family of XML standards--one that will benefit all OASIS members, users and vendors alike. As an organization dedicated to XML interoperability, OASIS looks forward to opportunities to continue our work with SVG, much as we did with WebCGM after it became a W3C Recommendation.

-- Laura Walker, Executive Director, OASIS

 

We are delighted to see SVG progress to Candidate Recommendation. This is an important step along the road to making the Web more "graphics friendly".

-- David Duce, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University

 

Sun is a strong proponent of SVG. SVG is a powerful enabling technology for the Web and especially promising when combined with the Java (TM) 2 platform to develop dynamic, interactive Web applications. Also, its open, standards-based nature is complementary to Sun's own computing vision, which relies upon open standards and non-proprietary interfaces. The goal of SVG is to provide an open, standards-based alternative to proprietary formats for scalable vector graphics. With SVG, users will finally have a single, standard format with which to work and a simple solution for delivering high quality graphics to all web environments.

-- Bill Smith, Manager, XML Technology Center, Sun Microsystems, and President, Board of Directors, OASIS

 

Corel applaudit aux efforts du World Wide Web Consortium qui ont permis de mettre au point les spécifications SVG (format d'images vectorielles modulables). Le monde informatique du nouveau millénaire reposera sur des solutions à code ouvert, faciles à utiliser et exécutables sur des plates-formes multiples. Nous sommes déterminé à prendre en charge le format SVG dans toutes nos applications graphiques, y compris la Suite graphique CorelDRAW 10, et à tourner cette technologie émergente vers les graphismes Web.

-- Derek J. Burney, vice-président exécutif du Bureau des études et chef du Service des technologies de Corel Corporation

 

Depuis le début du processus, ILOG est impliqué dans la définition de SVG, et de fait, ILOG propose un des premiers produits d'interface graphique supportant ce standard: ILOG JViews 3.0. Soutenant la tendance de nos clients à migrer leurs applications sur le web, SVG permettra une meilleure interopérabilité entre les différents logiciels graphiques techniques et artistiques du marché. Nous voyons également dans la flexibilité et les possibilités d'interactivité de SVG, une prolongation des forces de nos produits sur le web, forces qui ont contribuées à la réussite des GUIs ILOG dans les Télécoms, plus particulièrement dans les applications de gestion de réseaux, de supervision et de gestion du workflow.

-- Patrick Albert, Directeur Technique, ILOG

 

W3CによるSVG標準化プロポーザルは、 プリンティングおよびインターネットディスプレイのためのイメージングモデルやセマンティクス構造を統一していく上でキーとなる技術です。 キヤノンはこのSVGW3Cの勧告候補になったことを心より歓迎するとともに、 SVGが今後のインターネットの世界で流通するドキュメントフォーマットとして重要な位置をしめるものと期待しています。

-- 永田聡、 所長 、 デジタルオフィス開発センター、 キヤノン株式会社

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