Learn the essentials of Scalable Vector Graphics, the mark-up language used by most vector drawing programs and interactive web graphics tools. SVG Essentials takes you through SVG’s capabilities, beginning with simple line drawings and moving through complicated features such as filters, transformations, gradients, and patterns.
This thoroughly updated edition includes expanded coverage of animation, interactive graphics, and scripting SVG. Interactive examples online make it easy for you to experiment with SVG features in your web browser. Geared toward experienced designers, this book also includes appendices that explain basic concepts such as XML markup and CSS styling, so even if you have no web design experience, you can start learning SVG.
Create and style graphics to match your web design in a way that looks great when printed or displayed on high-resolution screensMake your charts and decorative headings accessible to search engines and assistive technologiesAdd artistic effects to your graphics, text, and photographs using SVG masks, filters, and transformationsAnimate graphics with SVG markup, or add interactivity with CSS and JavaScriptCreate SVG from existing vector data or XML data, using programming languages and XSLT
... even without reading this or any other book on Scalable Vector Graphics. All you want & need to know is readily available on the internet. So why shell out your hard earned money for books like this?
When I first look for materials to educate myself about SVG, I initially avoid Eisenberg's book. It is already 10 years old, so I assume this must be somewhat obsoleted. I was completely wrong. SVG essential is a definitive guide on the subject today even 10 years after it is published. It introduces readers to wide range of capability of SVG. The language is matured and change little. The biggest difference today is we can embedded SVG directly inside HTML and it has much better browser support. So everything in the book has only becomes more useful.
I urge all reader to learn about SVG. It is an insanely powerful tools for vector graphics that has been sidelined for too long. SVG Essentials is an excellent guide to introduce you to this technology.
This was a good introduction to SVG. Honestly, I have been using SVG for quite some time so most of this was a refresher. Being that it was written in 2002, there were lots of very old references. Chrome didn't exists, SVG support in browsers was bleak. The book has PERL and Java examples to generate SVGs. The appendices include introductions to XML and CSS. Finally, the book repeatedly mentions upcoming changes in SVG 2.0 that will fix some things, which, as of the day of this writing, is still being worked on.
It somehow resembles Eric A. Meyer's CSS: The Definitive Guide though it is not as good as this CSS bible. But very comprehensive, detailed, and dry. I like it!