how to draw grid using html5 and (canvas or svg)

Sandeep Kumar picture Sandeep Kumar · Jan 8, 2013 · Viewed 52.1k times · Source

I want to draw a grid as shown in image but I totally don't have idea that where should I begin. Should I use SVG or should I use Canvas with HTML5 and how to draw it.
Please guide on this. I want this grid to draw rectangle, circle or other diagrams on it and I will calculate area of that diagram like area of square.

enter image description here

Answer

Thomas W picture Thomas W · Jan 8, 2013

SVG can do this nicely using patterns:

<svg width="100%" height="100%" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
  <defs>
    <pattern id="smallGrid" width="8" height="8" patternUnits="userSpaceOnUse">
      <path d="M 8 0 L 0 0 0 8" fill="none" stroke="gray" stroke-width="0.5"/>
    </pattern>
    <pattern id="grid" width="80" height="80" patternUnits="userSpaceOnUse">
      <rect width="80" height="80" fill="url(#smallGrid)"/>
      <path d="M 80 0 L 0 0 0 80" fill="none" stroke="gray" stroke-width="1"/>
    </pattern>
  </defs>

  <rect width="100%" height="100%" fill="url(#grid)" />
</svg>

I set width and height to 100%, so you can define the actual width and height on use, either for inline SVG:

<div style="width:400px;height:300px">
  <svg width="100%" height="100%" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
    <defs>
      <pattern id="smallGrid" width="8" height="8" patternUnits="userSpaceOnUse">
        <path d="M 8 0 L 0 0 0 8" fill="none" stroke="gray" stroke-width="0.5"/>
      </pattern>
      <pattern id="grid" width="80" height="80" patternUnits="userSpaceOnUse">
        <rect width="80" height="80" fill="url(#smallGrid)"/>
        <path d="M 80 0 L 0 0 0 80" fill="none" stroke="gray" stroke-width="1"/>
      </pattern>
    </defs>

    <rect width="100%" height="100%" fill="url(#grid)" />
  </svg>
</div>

or an <img> element:

<img src="https://svgshare.com/i/9Eo.svg" width="700" height="200"/>

results in:

<img src="https://svgshare.com/i/9Eo.svg" width="241" height="401"/>

results in

Note that for this particular grid you have to use widths and heights of the form n x 80 + 1 (with n being any integer) if you want the grid to start and end with a thick stroke.