An SWF file is a file format used for multimedia, vector graphics, and ActionScript. It was originally an acronym for Shockwave Flash, but as SWF files became a standard means of publishing Flash content on the web, the acronym was modified to instead mean Small Web Format. SWF files can contain animations, interactive content, and text and graphics. They were commonly used to bring animated graphics, video, and sound to the web in the 2000s and 2010s and were also a popular means of delivering browser-based games.
SWF files are created by Adobe programs such as Flash, Flash Builder, Adobe Animate, and After Effects, as well as through MXMLC, a command-line application compiler which forms part of the freely-available Flex SDK. Although Adobe Illustrator can generate SWF format files through its "export" function, it cannot open or edit them.
To open an SWF file, you can use VLC Player, the hidden Flash player from Adobe that developers often use, or several other options such as Gretech GOM Player, Media Player Classic, Eltima Elmedia Player, BIT LABS SWF Player, and Ruffle. However, because SWF files contain compiled ActionScript and compressed media, they are not meant to be edited. To modify a Flash animation, you should edit the original .FLA file instead.
