What is a .SWZ file?
The file extension .SWZ refers to an Adobe Flash Player Cache File. This type of file was first introduced with version 9 of Adobe Flash Player. An .SWZ file contains data that Adobe has digitally signed, ensuring its authenticity and integrity. The primary function of these files is to store data in a way that allows Adobe Flash Player to cache, or temporarily hold, information. This is similar to how web browsers save certain data to improve website loading speeds.
The .SWZ files are particularly useful for speeding up the loading times of Flash Player animations. They also support the use of Runtime Shared Libraries (RSLs). RSLs are collections of code that can be used across different Flash applications. By using RSLs stored in .SWZ files, developers can make their applications smaller in file size because they do not need to include common code in every application. Instead, this code is shared via the .SWZ files.
One of the key benefits of .SWZ files over traditional browser caching is that they contain a digital signature from Adobe. This signature verifies that the data has not been tampered with and is from a trusted source. Additionally, because of this digital signature, .SWZ files can be reused across different domains, unlike typical browser cache files which are usually restricted to the domain from which they originated.
It's important to note that you cannot directly open .SWZ files using Adobe Flash Player or any other standard software application. Instead, these files are automatically accessed and referenced by the Flash Player when it needs to load .SWF applications that are supported by the RSLs contained within the .SWZ files.
Although Adobe Flash Player was the primary program used to handle .SWZ files, it has been discontinued. This means that no new versions or updates of Adobe Flash Player are being released, which could affect the future usability of .SWZ files as technologies evolve.
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