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A comment on Google Docs will now use canvas based rendering. Parent comment

Re:Google Docs will now use canvas based rendering by nothis on Wednesday May 12, 2021 @10:02AM (#27130422)
And it puts the entire structure behind a giant blackbox. Yucky.

As if fate tries to prove a point, I recently struggled with a random ass google docs document and just wanted to download and import to use in my own spreadsheet software. There probably would have been a Google Approved way of doing it but if there was, they intentionally made it hard. I ended up copying the HTML somehow. I guess that will no longer be possible in the near future.

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Re:Google Docs will now use canvas based rendering by onion2k on Wednesday May 12, 2021 @10:37AM (#27130818)
And it puts the entire structure behind a giant blackbox. Yucky.

Technically, sure, but the reality is that very few people are interacting directly with the HTML content of a Google Doc. What it does behind the scenes is really only relevant to the developers working on the app.

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Re:Google Docs will now use canvas based rendering by 0xcoffee on Wednesday May 12, 2021 @10:42AM (#27130896)
Well it also breaks all context menu functionality. No more right click -> copy text unless the website specifically implements it. Any custom context menu you use is now useless.

Personally I always use 'Right click -> Search..'

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Re:Google Docs will now use canvas based rendering by jvolkman on Wednesday May 12, 2021 @10:51AM (#27131004)
I think we can assume that Google Docs will implement right click -> copy text.
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Re:Google Docs will now use canvas based rendering by drran on Wednesday May 12, 2021 @11:18AM (#27131341)
... in gray.
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Re:Google Docs will now use canvas based rendering by throwaway3699 on Wednesday May 12, 2021 @10:04AM (#27130446)
File -> Download -> XLS
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Re:Google Docs will now use canvas based rendering by hjek on Wednesday May 12, 2021 @10:22AM (#27130650)
... which is a menu item you can reach through the canvas rendered by a giant blob of non-free JS.
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Re:Google Docs will now use canvas based rendering by tomcam on Wednesday May 12, 2021 @10:45AM (#27130933)
Or through scripting
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Re:Google Docs will now use canvas based rendering by zo1 on Wednesday May 12, 2021 @11:01AM (#27131134)
Assuming they allow you programmatic access to the elements inside their binary blob rendered in the canvas. My bet is they won't.
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Re:Google Docs will now use canvas based rendering by cnity on Wednesday May 12, 2021 @11:35AM (#27131526)
They couldn't stop you: either the interaction is handled in JS (in which case you can programmatically call the JS) or it is handled in WASM (in which case the interaction is actually still handled in JS, and exposed WASM functions are called).

In neither case can programmability be blocked.

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