Scalable Vector Graphs
by Reynaldo Kelly
Introduction
SVG is a way of presenting graphical information on a webpage. The difference between a svg presentation and the usual representation is the way the data is stored for the graphic. Usually data is represented as a collection of pixels that each have a color to make up a bigger picture. With SVG the graphic is created using mathematical equations.
Why use it
The mathmatical equations create points, lines, curves, shapes and polygons. Using these basic geometric objects, one can create an image that does not get pixilated. The biggest advantage that SVG introduces into web pages is scalability. The user can now zoom in on anything on the page and the page will keep adjusting to stay in scale and in focus. The way the information is stored allows it to be controllable. You make animate, change display properties, and is text based. Great link to svg and java code that shows examples and discusses svg.The advantage of svg being text based means that people can read the code without counting binary values. Lots of other graphic representation are binary and is only meant to be read by the computer.
Examples
Here is a sample code from another webpage 

		
		<svg width="100%" height="100%" version="1.1"
		       xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
		<circle cx="100" cy="50" r="40" stroke="black"
			stroke-width="2" fill="red"/>

		</svg>
This will create a red circle and blue rectangle. The code is written in xml code and looks similar to html code. It can be written in something as simple as a text editor. If you click here you will be shown another example of svg code. Notice that when the picture appears it is displayed as apart of the webpage. There is no save image as option. When you click view page source you will see the code that was implemented in order to get the two ellipses. Simple test-please zoom in on the picture and try to make the image get fuzzy. It will not get fuzzy and that is a simple example of one of the advantages of SVG. Try this link and try to zoom in again.
Conclusion
There is a endless ability of creation using svg. Images can be controlled using almost all of their properties. In some xml code one can create a detailed chart, picture, shape, animation while controlling the color, orientation, opacity, gradients, etc. It is a powerful tool that is waiting to be unleashed onto the web. Here are some more examples of things SVG is capable of. Excellent examples
Notes
SVG is not widely used yet. It is not uncommon for some web browsers to not be able to render svg. Most web browsers do not have native support for SVG, one browsers that does is opera. Many others require a plug-in. SVG is still open sourced and has a w3c standard. To use SVG you need XML. To learn more: XML by Joshua Davis

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