swf

SWF is a multimedia container file format originally developed by Macromedia (later by Adobe) for use with the Flash platform. The acronym has been described in different ways, including Small Web Format and Shockwave Flash, reflecting its evolution as a delivery mechanism for interactive content on the web. SWF files typically carry vector graphics, bitmap images, audio, video, and programming instructions, all packaged for playback by a compatible runtime such as the Flash Player or Adobe AIR.

Technically, SWF is a binary, tag-based format. A file contains a sequence of tagged records that describe shapes, text, sprites, and media, as well as timelines and interactivity. Common tags encode definitions of shapes and sprites, placement of objects, frames for animation, and scripting bytecode. ActionScript, the built-in scripting language, allows interactivity and logic; later versions introduced ActionScript 3.0 with a more Java-centric programming model. SWF files can load external resources and communicate with external scripts under a sandbox model.

Historically, SWF became widely adopted in web animation, games, and advertising during the late 1990s and 2000s as part of the Flash ecosystem. They were delivered inline in web pages and played in the Flash Player plugin integrated into browsers and standalone runtimes. In addition to desktop environments, some mobile devices supported Flash content through runtimes.

End of life and legacy status: Adobe discontinued Flash Player at the end of 2020, and major browsers removed built-in support. This led to a shift toward open standards such as HTML5, JavaScript, and WebGL for interactive web content. SWF files now persist mainly for archival purposes or legacy deployments, often converted to modern formats. Security concerns and evolving web standards contributed to the industry-wide move away from SWF.