- Canvas is used by large companies like Google and Microsoft for performance-critical web apps such as Google Docs, Sheets, Canva, Miro, and Hivekit.
- Canvas provides a blank drawing area using a JavaScript API, offering speed, control, consistency, and portability at the cost of losing DOM features.
- Reasons to use Canvas include faster performance (less browser parsing), full control over rendering, consistent output across devices, and easy integration with other frameworks.
- Reasons against Canvas include missing built-in features like text input, accessibility, and responsive layouts; DOM is better for most web apps.
- Canvas is best for apps with many absolutely positioned elements, irregular shapes, zoomable/pannable workspaces, or a strong internal model.
- Key implementation tips include managing render scheduling, layering multiple Canvas elements, separating styles, handling device pixel ratio, central coordinate translation, maintaining bounding box indices, and managing event handler lifecycles.
- Canvas is suitable when the interface behaves like a scene rather than a document; choose it for spatial workspace apps, not as a general HTML replacement.