Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)

What is Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)?

SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics.

It is an XML-based vector image format for 2D graphics that can be rendered by modern web browsers. Unlike raster images like JPEGs or PNGs, which are made up of a fixed grid of pixels, SVG images are made up of shapes and lines that can be scaled up or down without losing quality.

The history of SVG images dates back to the late 1990s when the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recognized the need for a vector graphics format for the web. The goal was to create a format that would be open, accessible, and scalable.

The first version of SVG was released in 2001 as a recommendation by the W3C. It was designed to be compatible with XML, making it easy to manipulate and integrate with other web technologies.

SVG quickly gained popularity among web developers and designers for its flexibility, interactivity, and small file size. It allowed for the creation of graphics that could be scaled up or down without losing quality, making it ideal for responsive design.

Over the years, SVG has undergone several updates and enhancements, with the latest version (SVG 2.0) being released in 2018. Today, SVG is widely supported by all major web browsers and has become the standard for vector graphics on the web. Most web servers support serving SVG content by default, or can have SVG support readily enabled.

Because SVG files are essentially text files, they are significantly smaller in size than raster images. This makes them ideal for use on the web. SVG graphics also allow for greater interactivity and animation than static images.

In MIDAS, SVG images are used for graphical user interface elements, such as icons and buttons.