At a first glance, a canvas element can look confusing and people may be unsure about how to use it. It has been described as a HTML5 element and is used for ‘drawing’ things onto it. It is a container that can be filled with other elements such as text and imagery to make a webpage. It is a new element in the web development process that enables developers to create things that otherwise would not have been possible. Using simple instructions and code, a developer’s ideas can be put onto a webpage simply and quickly.
To use the canvas element, all you need is a basic understanding of coding, such as Javascript, and a browser that supports the canvas element. It is used for ‘drawing’ images and charts, diagrams and animations. This may sound simple at first, but there are thousands of different variations for what can be created, each to the developer’s specific requirements. Depending on how creative the developer is and the purpose of what they are creating, there are some amazing things that can be made.
The core things that can be created are the basic shapes such as squares, lines, curves and more. All these elements can then be combined with each other to make almost any shape imaginable with the right skill set. Additionally text, charts, images and animations can be added to this.
But the real question is, how does the developer then know what the code is for all these different elements? There are thousands of things to remember and even the most seasoned developer cannot keep all that information in their head. That is the primary reason why a cheat sheet has been developed.
A cheat sheet is an organised list of instructions and code that will give a developer a boost when they are trying to draw on the canvas element. The cheat sheet is mainly used by beginners, those that are not used to coding, and will use the sheet as a reference while they are working. As well as code and instructions, it contains tips on how to get the best out of the canvas, additional information on how to save what you have worked on so far, and examples of content that can be created using canvas.
The cheat sheet can be used alongside the development process, and as a reference. It can be used straight off of the web, or can be downloaded or printed, whatever is easiest for the user. As the canvas element is becoming more universally used, so is the cheat sheet. There are people who are creating their own cheat sheets for their specific individual needs. A cheat sheet can be an invaluable tool for many people, and many developers could not do what they do today without them.
Click on this link to view the HTML Canvas cheat sheet.
https://skilled.co/html-canvas/
