Among the set of goodies in the HTML 5 specification is Canvas which is a way to programmatically draw using JavaScript. We’ll explore the ins and outs of Canvas in this article, demonstrating what is possible with examples and links. Why Do You Need Canvas? Canvas can be used to represent something visually in your browser. For example: » Simple diagrams » Fancy user interfaces » Animations » Charts and graphs » Embedded drawing applications » Working around CSS limitations In basic terms it’s a very simple pixel-based drawing API, but used in the right way it can be the building block for some clever stuff. What Tools Are at Your disposal? Drawing tools » Rectangles » Arcs » Paths and line drawing » Bezier and quadratic curves » Effects Fills and strokes » Shadows » Linear and radial gradients » Alpha transparency » Compositing » Transformations » Scaling » Rotation » Tran...