Adobe/Macromedia Flash (or simply, Flash) refers to both the Flash Player and to a multimedia authoring program used to create content (e.g., web videos, games).

Flash features spport for:

• Vector and raster graphics
• ActionScript scripting language
• Bi-directional streaming of audio and video

Flash files (or "flash movies") usually have a .swf file extension and appear as an element of a web page. They can sometimes be "played" in the standalone Flash Player, which is a client-side application installed on approximately 98% of computers worldwide.

Since its introduction in 1996, Flash technology has become the most popular method for adding video, animation and interactivity to web pages.