Getting Started
Mental Model
What Prism owns, and what remains app-owned.
Prism is a DOM-surface runtime layer, not a renderer, UI kit, design tool, app framework, game engine, or charting library.
Prism does not replace your renderer. It gives canvas applications managed DOM-authored surfaces.
Prism owns
CanvasRuntimeCanvasSurfaceregistration- backend selection
- paint lifecycle
- invalidation
- CSS-pixel surface bounds
- backing-store conversion helpers
- paint readiness
- export timing
- surface cleanup
Your app owns
- app state
- data
- templates and components
- transforms
- drawing model
- animation loop
- layout decisions
- chart, game, or rendering logic
- UI decisions
- interaction state
CanvasRuntime is the only constructible public runtime class. CanvasSurface instances are returned by registerSurface() and should not be constructed by apps.
Coordinate boundary
Surface bounds and input coordinates are CSS pixels. Direct ctx drawing inside onPaint() uses backing-store pixels.
Current scope
Prism v1 is 2D-first. WebGL/WebGPU and renderer integrations are future-facing, not the current public API center.