Sams Teach Yourself XML in 24 Hours, Complete Starter Kit (3rd Edition)

Can I use SVG to create an image on a Web page instead of using a GIF or PNG image file?

Yes, but keep in mind that the benefit to using SVG in this case is the ability to generate an image dynamically. If you are just displaying a static image on a Web page, then a GIF or PNG image will probably work better. However, if you do need to dynamically generate a vector image, then SVG is certainly your answer.

Is it possible to validate SVG documents?

Absolutely. Just make sure you've referenced the appropriate SVG DTD in your document, and then feed it to the W3C Markup Validation Service at http://validator.w3.org/. The online validator will use the DTD as the basis for validating the document against the requirements of the SVG language.