Flash, is a vector based animation technology developed by Macromedia that can be used to create vector graphics-based animation programs with full-screen navigation interfaces, graphic illustrations, and simple interactivity in an antialiased, resizable file format that is small enough to stream across a normal modem connection. Flash elements can include simple text or button animations, scrolling text, slide show pictures and even flash movies, completed with sound. Since its introduction in 1996, Flash technology has become a popular alternative to animate and make interactive web pages and several software products, systems, and devices.

Initially focused on animation, early versions of Flash content offered very few interactivity features and thus had very limited scripting capability, but more recent versions include ActionScript, a scripting language with a syntax similar to that of JavaScript, but a much different programming framework and set of class libraries. Actionscript can be used to create almost all of the interactivity (buttons, text entry fields, pick lists) seen in Flash applications. The latest addition by Macromedia is Flash MX 2004, introducing ActionScript 2.0, a scripting programming language more suitable for Flash applications development purposes. An awardwinning development by Macromedia is Flash remomting, a toolkit that includes a server gateway, components, actionscript classes, and a debugger.