How To Use Canvas In HTML And Its Benefits?

Introduction

In this article, we will learn about the features and benefits of HTML Canvas, along with examples of how it can enhance web design and development.

What is HTML Canvas?

HTML Canvas is a semantic element in HTML that provides a powerful tool for designing graphics on web pages. It is the only element container for graphics and offers various methods to draw and design boxes, circles, paths, text, images, etc. A rectangular area is created on an HTML page, with no border or constant, which can be accessed and manipulated using JavaScript. The syntax to use Canvas in HTML is given below and is straightforward to implement.

<canvas> ....</canvas>

With the help of this element, we can add the rectangular area inside the HTML.

The canvas tag has an id attribute that helps us insert the JavaScript inside the HTML. It also has the property to set the width and height. The default value of canvas width is 300 pixels and 150 pixels.

How does it work?

Canvas is a drawing surface that can be accessed and manipulated using JavaScript. When a web page loads, Canvas creates a blank rectangle on the page. The dimensions of this rectangle can be set using HTML attributes or JavaScript code. Once the rectangle is created, JavaScript code can draw shapes, lines, text, and images onto the Canvas surface.

How to create an empty canvas?

To create an empty canvas, you can follow the below steps.

<canvas id="canvas_text" width="300" height="200"></canvas>

HTML 5 Canvas

How to create a filled shape using canvas?

Now the most interesting part is how to design on canvas 

<body>
<canvas id ="myCanvas" width=""300" height="200" style="border: 1px solid #c3c3c3">
<script>
     var canvas=document.getElementById('myCanvas');
     var ctx=canvas.getContext("2d");
     ctx.fillStyle ="blue";
     ctx.fillRect(0,0,190,95);
</script>
</canvas>
</body>
</html>

HTML 5 Canvas

To draw the shape with the help of a canvas

  • With the help of JavaScript, we find the canvas with the help of document.getElementById 
  • The second step is to create a drawing object with the help of getcontext. This is the built-in object in JavaScript.
  • We use to fill style byt the help of [ctx.fillStyle ='green']
  • To Draw the shape, we use [ctx.fillRect(0,0,190,950]

How to draw a circle and line using canvas?


For creating a line

Drawing the line we used to define the starting point and end point.

  • to draw a line, we use the move to method ctx.moveTo(0,0) 
  • It is an ending point of line ctx.line(200,100)
  • For creating the line, we use the stroke method ctx.stroke(); this is the ink method.
<canvas id ="myCanvas" width=""200" height="100" style="border: 1px solid #d3d3d3">
<script>
     var canvas=document.getElementById('myCanvas');
     var ctx=canvas.getContext("2d");
     ctx.moveTo(0,0);
     ctx.lineTo(200,100);
     ctx.stroke();
</script>
  </canvas>
  </body>
</html>

HTML 5 Canvas

How to draw a circle on canvas?

  • First of all, give begin path. We use the method ctx.beginPath();
  • For creating the curve, we use the method ctx.arc(95,50,40,0,2*Maths.PI);
  • Then we use the ink method to draw the circle ctx.stroke();
<canvas id ="myCanvas" width=""200" height="200" style="border: 1px solid #d3d3d3">
<script>
     var canvas=document.getElementById('myCanvas');
     var ctx=canvas.getContext("2d");
      ctx.beginPath();
      ctx.arc(95,50,40,0,2*Math.PI );
      ctx.stroke();
</script>
  </canvas>
  </body>
</html>

HTML 5 Canvas

Benefits of using HTML Canvas

HTML Canvas provides several benefits, as given below

  1. Flexibility- Canvas can create a wide range of graphics and animations, from simple shapes to complex illustrations and animations.

  2. Speed- Because Canvas is a native element in HTML, it is optimized for speed and can handle large amounts of data and complex calculations.

  3. Interactivity- Canvas allows for creating interactive user interfaces and games that can respond to user input in real time.

  4. Accessibility- Canvas is accessible to a wide range of devices and browsers, making it a versatile tool for web development.

Conclusion

Canvas is a powerful tool for creating and manipulating graphics and animations on web pages. It provides a flexible, fast, and interactive platform for web designers and developers to enhance their website's visual appearance and functionality. We have learned about the features and benefits of HTML Canvas, along with examples.