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Based on the description of the tag ...

A new feature of HTML5, allowing Javascript apps to have a drawing surface in the browser.

...it should be used strictly for HTML5 games using the canvas element. However a lot of questions about Unity also use the same tag, because the drawing surface for unity projects is also called like that. Same for games using the Canvas object in the java.awt package (altough, they come up less frequently).

I think they should be either a separate tag for unity's canvas and java's canvas or the description of the tag should include these 2 options too (which would mess up the "favourite tags" feature on the site though).

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Canvas is a very generic term TBH. I'm pretty sure it's used in a lot of places, not just HTML5/Java/Unity. \$\endgroup\$
    – DH.
    Commented Oct 14, 2016 at 11:06
  • \$\begingroup\$ @DH. Those were just the 3 examples I knew of, there is 1 in .NET too \$\endgroup\$
    – Bálint
    Commented Oct 14, 2016 at 11:14
  • \$\begingroup\$ While there are alternatives to the canvas, in using Unity, you have to ask how many people would actually use a unity-canvas tag. Using just unitycanvas would make it a metatag, which is also how I would describe the other uses you list. It is worth knowing that the Stack Exchange has moved away from, and now should not use, meta tags. \$\endgroup\$
    – Gnemlock
    Commented Oct 14, 2016 at 23:24
  • \$\begingroup\$ I have renamed 'canvas' to 'html-canvas.' I have not gone through the 290-odd questions removing the tag from those where it no longer fits. \$\endgroup\$
    – user1430
    Commented Oct 17, 2016 at 18:49

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My gut feeling is that the instances where the tag is used with Unity are just superfluous and should be removed. Same with the Java instances.

The HTML5 instances seem legit and in line with the original intent of the tag. Maybe we should rename it to html-canvas?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Would be a good idea imo. Putting it in unity questions is redundant, because you can only use a canvas. \$\endgroup\$
    – Bálint
    Commented Oct 14, 2016 at 15:43
  • \$\begingroup\$ Especially in favour of adding the html prefix, as without it, the tag looks somewhat like (and appears to be used like) a meta tag. \$\endgroup\$
    – Gnemlock
    Commented Oct 14, 2016 at 23:25
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    \$\begingroup\$ +1 for html-canvas \$\endgroup\$
    – Vaillancourt Mod
    Commented Oct 15, 2016 at 3:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Gnemlock straight from the link: "The reason meta-tags are a problem is that they do not describe the content of the question.". html-canvas describes the content of the question, it's (obviously) about the canvas element. I even have it in my "favourite tags" list so I cab see those questions easily. \$\endgroup\$
    – Bálint
    Commented Oct 15, 2016 at 5:31
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Bálint, this is true. As I said, in favor of the prefix, as without it the tag looks like a meta tag. I'm not sure what you mean by "I even have it in my "favourite tags"", though. At present, the tag html-canvas is yet to exist. \$\endgroup\$
    – Gnemlock
    Commented Oct 15, 2016 at 12:45
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Gnemlock sorry, I though you were speaking about the tag in general, and not about canvas or html-canvas \$\endgroup\$
    – Bálint
    Commented Oct 15, 2016 at 12:55

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