- This article is the most common use of SWF. For other uses, see SWF (disambiguation).
SWF (pronounced “swiff” by some, standing for Shockwave Flash) is the file format used by Macromedia Flash to describe movies built of mainly two elements: vector based objects and images. The newest versions also allow audio, video and many different possible forms of interaction with the end user. Once created, SWF files can be played by the Macromedia Flash Player, working either as a browser plugin or as an standalone (executable) player. Most of the times, SWF files can also be encapsulated with the player, creating a self-running SWF movie called projector.
The file format was first created by Macromedia and had one main goal: create small files of highly entertaining animations. The idea was to have a format which could be reused by a player running on any system and which would work with slower network (such as a browser used with a modem). Plugins to play SWF files in web browsers are available from Macromedia for most desktop operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac and Linux on Intel. Macromedia claims that 98% of web users now have an SWF plugin installed. [1]
The format is fairly simple, albeit binary, and therefore not as immediately readable as its XML-based rival SVG. SWF has used zlib compression since 2002, and in general the format aims to store all data using as few bits as possible, therefore reducing redundancy. SWF is an open format, and anyone can implement authoring software without having to pay royalties.
The SWF format specification has a major restriction in its license that disallows creating a player for SWF files based on the specification itself. This information is obtained from:
In the Macromedia Flash File Format (SWF) Specification section:
This license does not permit the usage of the specification to create software which supports SWF file playback.
There is no clause in the license that allows creation of a player for an SWF file.
There is an item explaining this issue:
Can I use the File Format Specification to create a SWF interpreter or player?
No, the File Format Specification is provided for the specific purpose of enabling software applications to export to the Macromedia Flash File Format (SWF).
Since the file format specification does not allow creation of a player with that information, open source flash players creation involves a lot of reverse engineering work.
External links
- Official SWF Reference
- Alexis' SWF Reference
- FLASM A free command line assembler/disassembler of Flash ActionScript bytecode
- Flirt An open source Flash parsing and rendering library
- GPLFlash Free software Flash decoder and plugin
- KineticFusion An standalone RVML <-> SWF compiler/decompiler
- LIBSWF A library for generating Macromedia Flash .swf files from scratch
- MING A SWF output library and PHP module. (See also Ming library)
- MTASC Open source ActionScript compiler
- SSWF A library and a script compiler to create SWF content
- JGenerator Java-based swf generation library and replacement for Macromedia Generator.
- SWFSource SDK Cross-Platform Flash SDK for addition of Flash Import / Export to applications.
- SWF Scout Commercial ActiveX/.NET library for rich flash movies generation. Can create new flash movies using existing SWF as templates.
Third-party software
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