W3C

*Proposed* Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Working Group Charter

The mission of the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Working Group, part of the Graphics Activity of the , is to continue the evolution of Scalable Vector Graphics as a format and a platform, and enhance the adoption and usability of SVG in combination with other technologies.

Join the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Working Group.

End date 31 Oct 2016
Confidentiality Proceedings are public
Initial Chairs Erik Dahlström (Opera),
Cameron McCormack (Mozilla)
Initial Staff Contact
(FTE %: 20)
Chris Lilley,
Doug Schepers
Usual Meeting Schedule Teleconferences: Weekly
Face-to-face: 2-3 per year

Scope

The SVG WG develops the following technologies, all of which are in scope for the SVG Working Group:

Scalable Vector Graphics has matured into a widely-implemented specification for interactive graphics, used in viewers, authoring tools, and in other standards. The SVG Working Group will build upon this solid foundation by adding new graphical and behavioral features to make it even easier for content creators to make compelling and effective graphical content. This includes syntactic sugar and canned effects for some of its more powerful features such as advanced gradients, filters and animation.

Since SVG is also used as part of a platform for rich Web applications, both alone and in combination with other technologies such as HTML, the SVG Working Group must address the needs of web application developers. In particular, the SVG Working Group will work with implementers and other experts to redesign the SVG DOM APIs and certain syntactic conventions. Besides improving interoperability and adding clarifications where necessary, the aims are also to make them simpler and more performant, and to integrate SVG more closely with other web languages, to improve use in gaming, multimedia experiences, and interactive data visualization. The group will also work with accessibility groups to define more precise measures for accessible info-graphics.

Many features of SVG were successful enough to be adopted by CSS, such as gradients, filter effects, and animations. To ensure interoperability, the SVG Working Group is working closely with the CSS Working Group to co-develop those features, to provide a consistent model for authors and implementers. The FX taskforce is the venue for this joint work.

Many authors integrate SVG and HTML content, and this group works with the HTML Working Group to improve that integration.

For backwards compatibility with existing implementations and content, the group will provide a clear upgrade path from SVG 1.1 and SVG Tiny 1.2 to SVG2. Some of the new functionality of SVG2 may be defined in stand-alone modules which can be incrementally added to implementations of those earlier specifications. A modular approach is aimed at promoting quick review and progress toward implementations and Recommendation status.

In order to meet the specific needs of content creators using SVG for mapping applications, the SVG WG intends to form an SVG Mapping Task Force, to focus on use case and requirements, and to work on map-targeted modules such as the Tiling and Layering module. In addition, some of this functionality will benefit non-mapping applications such as high resolution photographic or medical imagery, so has been placed in the main SVG2 specification.

For all new work, the SVG Working Group intends to gather and publish use cases and requirements, primers to illustrate the purpose and use of specifications, test suites to ensure interoperable implementations, and where possible, script libraries to prototype features and allow for early experimentation and adoption by authors.

In addition, the SVG Working Group will continue to maintain existing SVG specifications, publish errata and new revisions where required, update test suites, and provide current implementation reports.

Success Criteria

The SVG Working Group's work is considered a success if there are multiple independent complete and interoperable implementations of its deliverables that are widely used.

Deliverables

Some modules are expected to become Recommendations in the timeframe of this charter. Others are expected to move to Candidate Recommendation and have test suites developed; or to move to Last Call.

Recommendations

These specifications are expected to move to W3C Recommendation within two years.

Joint Work

Items jointly published by CSS and SVG WGs via the FX Task Force.

Items jointly developed by the WAI P&F and SVG WGs.

Items jointly developed with Web Performance Working Group.

Candidate Recommendation

These modules have an editor, an advocate in the Working Group, are expected to move to CR and have test suites developed within two years.

Working Draft

These modules may be worked on if there is time. They might not currently have an editor.

Maintenance

Maintenance items are W3C Recommendations (or are expected very soon to become Recommendations) which will be maintained by collecting errata and, if needed, by the publication of new editions incorporating those errata.

Completed

Completed items are finished, and not considered to require active maintenance.

Other Deliverables

The group creates a comprehensive test suite for each SVG specification before it becomes Recommendation.

The group monitors, tracks, and encourages implementation of SVG, both during Candidate Recommendation and afterwards.

Milestones

Current status of each module, including implementation and testsuite status and other spec dependencies which may block it, is maintained on the SVG Roadmap page.

Dependencies and Liaisons

Dependencies

Internationalization Activity
The group coordinates with the Internationalization Activity to ensure effective support for internationalization.
CSS Working Group
The group coordinates closely with the CSS WG on common features to meet the needs of HTML/SVG, SVG, and mixed HTML/CSS/SVG content, and to ensure compatibility at the functionality level for ease of implementation and authoring. The FX Task Force is the primary venue for this work, and these specifications are published jointly.
HTML
Work with the HTML WG to provide integrated and consistent authoring experiences, and to explore how SVG can be used with different serializations of HTML. In addition, this group may form a joint task force with the HTML WG to integrate the Canvas API for use in SVG.
WAI Protocols and Formats Working Group
The group coordinates closely with WAI PF to ensure effective support for accessibility. SVG Accessibility API and Accessible Authoring Guidelines will be jointly published by the two groups.

Liaisons

The following is a list of known liaisons with other groups at the time this charter was written.

Web Applications (WebApps) Working Group
The group intends to use the Web IDL specification as the formal language to define SVG interfaces. The SVG WG will also work with the WebApps WG to define new APIS and improvements to DOM.
WebFonts Working Group
The group coordinates with the WebFonts WG to enable high quality Web typography with downloadable fonts, in particular WOFF.
Device APIs and Policy Working Group
Integrate APIs exposing device capabilities.
Web Performance Working Group
Coordinate on the Resource Timing specification regarding SVG resources.
Web Application Security Working Group
Coordinate on security aspects of SVG
Web Testing Activity
Collaborate on a shared testing framework, and use the formats and tools provided by the Web Testing Activity for the SVG test suites.
OASIS
Work with OASIS Open Document Format Technical Committee to integrate SVG as a first-class object.
EPUB
Work with IPDF and the Digital Publishing IG on EPUB to facilitate use of SVG in electronic books.
Khronos
Coordinate on APIs and features with OpenVG, OpenGL, and other specifications.
MPEG
Provide guidance for integration and compatible extensions of SVG. Liaise regarding Open Font Format (OpenType) use of SVG glyphs.
International Color Consortium and Open ICC
Ensure technical review of color management related aspects of SVG.

Furthermore, Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Working Group expects to follow these W3C Recommendations:

Participation

To be successful, The group is expected to have 7 or more active participants for its duration. Effective participation is expected to consume one work day per week for each participant; two days per week for editors. The group allocates also the necessary resources for building Test Suites.

Participants are reminded of the Good Standing requirements of the W3C Process.

Communication

The group holds weekly teleconferences, and primarily conducts its work on the public mailing list www-svg@w3.org (archive) for technical discussions. Group logistics are discussed in the public group list, public-svg-wg@w3.org (archive) , or if needed the member-only mailing list w3c-svg-wg@w3.org (archive).

The list of current members of the SVG WG is public.

Information about the group (deliverables, participants, face-to-face meetings, teleconferences, etc.) is available from the SVG Working Group page and the SVG Working Group wiki.

Decision Policy

As explained in the Process Document (section 3.3), this group seeks to make decisions when there is consensus. When the Chair puts a question and observes dissent, after due consideration of different opinions, the Chair should record a decision (possibly after a formal vote) and any objections, and move on.

Decisions are made by consensus of the Working Group. In addition to decisions made on teleconferences or face to face meetings, decisions may also be made by a call for consensus on the public mailing list; consensus to be determined by the chairs after some reasonable interval for objections. This avoids waiting for the next weekly call, if consensus can be determined before then.

Patent Policy

This Working Group operates under the W3C Patent Policy (5 February 2004 Version). To promote the widest adoption of Web standards, W3C seeks to issue Recommendations that can be implemented, according to this policy, on a Royalty-Free basis.

For more information about disclosure obligations for this group, please see the W3C Patent Policy Implementation.

About this Charter

This charter for the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Working Group has been created according to section 6.2 of the Process Document. In the event of a conflict between this document or the provisions of any charter and the W3C Process, the W3C Process shall take precedence.

Please also see the previous charter for this group.

Per process doc 6.2.3, the most important changes are summarised here.


Erik Dahlström, Cameron McCormack, Chris Lilley, Doug Schepers

$Date: 2014/09/22 17:40:35 $