Why do web developers use Flash instead of SVG+Javascript?

[smartboyathome]

I don't get it, from what I understand SVG+Javascript can do basically the same thing that Flash can do, but without a) the extra dependancy of a plugin, and b) the resource overhead and instability of flash. Can someone enlighten me on this issue? :)

[FuturePilot]

Pretty much. Take a look at this
http://www.croczilla.com/svg/samples/svgtetris/svgtetris.svg
Not a bit of Flash :)
There's also some other stuff here
https://developer.mozilla.org/en/SVG

But yeah, Flash is abused so much. Not sure why people want to use Flash for everything

[Keyper7]

I think SVG support is still incomplete in ALL browsers, no exceptions.

Furthermore, I have very little confidence in decent cross-browser consistency on SVG support. I'll probably be a worse nightmare than CSS still is today. Flash is bloated, buggy and heavy, but people have 99% confidence that a swf will behave the same way in all browsers.

[LaRoza]

I don't get it, from what I understand SVG+Javascript can do basically the same thing that Flash can do, but without a) the extra dependancy of a plugin, and b) the resource overhead and instability of flash. Can someone enlighten me on this issue? :)

It is simple. Flash has been around longer and is more used. It may be inferior for certain tasks and Flash is often abused (all Flash sites...) but that can't be overturned as soon as something better comes.

[-grubby]

Flash is made for interactive usage, such as games or videos. Not all browsers (IE) support svg either.

I'm not sure if I can confirm this, but I believe it is easier to program these things in flash (feel free to correct me)?

[Yashiro]

Tools.

Flash is easier to create and obtaining illegal copies of the expensive tools is also easy.