Programming Web Graphics with Perl and GNU Softwar

The Once and Future Browser

One of the key ingredients to the success and beauty of the Web is that it started with a set of specifications and requirements that were simple and robust enough so that anyone who wanted to could participate in publishing to the world. As we move into the world of the “Object Web” and more complicated specifications, anyone can still participate on some level, but overall the Web is not as simple a place as it once was. Once XML (eXtensible Modeling Language) is popularized, the field becomes even more cluttered.

Probably the most significant contribution of XML to the web graphics world is the possibility of representing vector graphics within the markup of a document, and allowing the client to render the graphics. Scalable vector graphics have been integrated into the Web, mostly as plug-ins or external viewers for formats such as PDF or CGM. An up-and-coming format is the Precision Graphics Markup Language (PGML), an XML application with an imaging model based on that of PostScript. Scalable graphics represented in a compact, portable vector form will truly kindle a revolution in the look and feel of the Web.

The Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) is another XML-based language that deserves attention. It may be used to represent media actions that may be triggered by various time controls. It will be used to make the Web a more multimedia-friendly place.

Web multimedia and vector graphics are two fields of expansion that are filled ...