Basic Shapes

Introduction

SVG contains the following set of basic shape elements:

Mathematically, these shape elements are equivalent to a 'path' element that would construct the same shape. The basic shapes may be stroked, filled and used as clip paths. All of the properties available for 'path' elements also apply to the basic shapes.

The 'rect' element

The 'rect' element defines a rectangle which is axis-aligned with the current user coordinate system. Rounded rectangles can be achieved by setting appropriate values for attributes 'rx' and 'ry'.

Attribute definitions:

x = "<coordinate>"
The x-axis coordinate of the side of the rectangle which has the smaller x-axis coordinate value in the current user coordinate system.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a value of "0" were specified.
Animatable: yes.
y = "<coordinate>"
The y-axis coordinate of the side of the rectangle which has the smaller y-axis coordinate value in the current user coordinate system.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a value of "0" were specified.
Animatable: yes.
width = "<length>"
The width of the rectangle.
A negative value is an error (see Error processing). A value of zero disables rendering of the element.
Animatable: yes.
height = "<length>"
The height of the rectangle.
A negative value is an error (see Error processing). A value of zero disables rendering of the element.
Animatable: yes.
rx = "<length>"
For rounded rectangles, the x-axis radius of the ellipse used to round off the corners of the rectangle.
A negative value is an error (see Error processing).
See the notes below about what happens if the attribute is not specified.
Animatable: yes.
ry = "<length>"
For rounded rectangles, the y-axis radius of the ellipse used to round off the corners of the rectangle.
A negative value is an error (see Error processing).
See the notes below about what happens if the attribute is not specified.
Animatable: yes.

The values used for the x- and y-axis rounded corner radii are determined implicitly if the 'rx' or 'ry' attributes (or both) are not specified, or are specified but with invalid values. The values are also subject to clamping so that the lengths of the straight segments of the rectangle are never negative. The effective values for 'rx' and 'ry' are determined by following these steps in order:

  1. Let rx and ry be length values.
  2. If neither 'rx' nor 'ry' are properly specified, then set both rx and ry to 0. (This will result in square corners.)
  3. Otherwise, if a properly specified value is provided for 'rx', but not for 'ry', then set both rx and ry to the value of 'rx'.
  4. Otherwise, if a properly specified value is provided for 'ry', but not for 'rx', then set both rx and ry to the value of 'ry'.
  5. Otherwise, both 'rx' and 'ry' were specified properly. Set rx to the value of 'rx' and ry to the value of 'ry'.
  6. If rx is greater than half of 'width', then set rx to half of 'width'.
  7. If ry is greater than half of 'height', then set ry to half of 'height'.
  8. The effective values of 'rx' and 'ry' are rx and ry, respectively.

Mathematically, a 'rect' element can be mapped to an equivalent 'path' element as follows: (Note: all coordinate and length values are first converted into user space coordinates according to Units.)

Example rect01 shows a rectangle with sharp corners. The 'rect' element is filled with yellow and stroked with navy.

Example rect02 shows two rounded rectangles. The 'rx' specifies how to round the corners of the rectangles. Note that since no value has been specified for the 'ry' attribute, it will be assigned the same value as the 'rx' attribute.

The 'circle' element

The 'circle' element defines a circle based on a center point and a radius.

Attribute definitions:

cx = "<coordinate>"
The x-axis coordinate of the center of the circle.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a value of "0" were specified.
Animatable: yes.
cy = "<coordinate>"
The y-axis coordinate of the center of the circle.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a value of "0" were specified.
Animatable: yes.
r = "<length>"
The radius of the circle.
A negative value is an error (see Error processing). A value of zero disables rendering of the element.
Animatable: yes.

The arc of a 'circle' element begins at the "3 o'clock" point on the radius and progresses towards the "9 o'clock" point. The starting point and direction of the arc are affected by the user space transform in the same manner as the geometry of the element.

Example circle01 consists of a 'circle' element that is filled with red and stroked with blue.

The 'ellipse' element

The 'ellipse' element defines an ellipse which is axis-aligned with the current user coordinate system based on a center point and two radii.

Attribute definitions:

cx = "<coordinate>"
The x-axis coordinate of the center of the ellipse.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a value of "0" were specified.
Animatable: yes.
cy = "<coordinate>"
The y-axis coordinate of the center of the ellipse.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a value of "0" were specified.
Animatable: yes.
rx = "<length>"
The x-axis radius of the ellipse.
A negative value is an error (see Error processing). A value of zero disables rendering of the element.
Animatable: yes.
ry = "<length>"
The y-axis radius of the ellipse.
A negative value is an error (see Error processing). A value of zero disables rendering of the element.
Animatable: yes.

The arc of an 'ellipse' element begins at the "3 o'clock" point on the radius and progresses towards the "9 o'clock" point. The starting point and direction of the arc are affected by the user space transform in the same manner as the geometry of the element.

Example ellipse01 below specifies the coordinates of the two ellipses in the user coordinate system established by the 'viewBox' attribute on the 'svg' element and the 'transform' attribute on the 'g' and 'ellipse' elements. Both ellipses use the default values of zero for the 'cx' and 'cy' attributes (the center of the ellipse). The second ellipse is rotated.

The 'line' element

The 'line' element defines a line segment that starts at one point and ends at another.

Attribute definitions:

x1 = "<coordinate>"
The x-axis coordinate of the start of the line.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a value of "0" were specified.
Animatable: yes.
y1 = "<coordinate>"
The y-axis coordinate of the start of the line.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a value of "0" were specified.
Animatable: yes.
x2 = "<coordinate>"
The x-axis coordinate of the end of the line.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a value of "0" were specified.
Animatable: yes.
y2 = "<coordinate>"
The y-axis coordinate of the end of the line.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a value of "0" were specified.
Animatable: yes.

Mathematically, a 'line' element can be mapped to an equivalent 'path' element as follows: (Note: all coordinate and length values are first converted into user space coordinates according to Units.)

Because 'line' elements are single lines and thus are geometrically one-dimensional, they have no interior; thus, 'line' elements are never filled (see the 'fill' property).

Example line01 below specifies the coordinates of the five lines in the user coordinate system established by the 'viewBox' attribute on the 'svg' element. The lines have different thicknesses.

The 'polyline' element

The 'polyline' element defines a set of connected straight line segments. Typically, 'polyline' elements define open shapes.

Attribute definitions:

points = "<list-of-points>"
The points that make up the polyline. All coordinate values are in the user coordinate system.
Animatable: yes.

If an odd number of coordinates is provided, then the element is in error, with the same user agent behavior as occurs with an incorrectly specified 'path' element.

Mathematically, a 'polyline' element can be mapped to an equivalent 'path' element as follows:

Example polyline01 below specifies a polyline in the user coordinate system established by the 'viewBox' attribute on the 'svg' element.

The 'polygon' element

The 'polygon' element defines a closed shape consisting of a set of connected straight line segments.

Attribute definitions:

points = "<list-of-points>"
The points that make up the polygon. All coordinate values are in the user coordinate system.
Animatable: yes.

If an odd number of coordinates is provided, then the element is in error, with the same user agent behavior as occurs with an incorrectly specified 'path' element.

Mathematically, a 'polygon' element can be mapped to an equivalent 'path' element as follows:

Example polygon01 below specifies two polygons (a star and a hexagon) in the user coordinate system established by the 'viewBox' attribute on the 'svg' element.

The grammar for points specifications in 'polyline' and 'polygon' elements

The following is the Extended Backus-Naur Form (EBNF) for points specifications in 'polyline' and 'polygon' elements. The following notation is used:

list-of-points:
    wsp* coordinate-pairs? wsp*
coordinate-pairs:
    coordinate-pair
    | coordinate-pair comma-wsp coordinate-pairs
coordinate-pair:
    coordinate comma-wsp coordinate
    | coordinate negative-coordinate
coordinate:
    number
number:
    sign? integer-constant
    | sign? floating-point-constant
negative-coordinate:
    "-" integer-constant
    | "-" floating-point-constant
comma-wsp:
    (wsp+ comma? wsp*) | (comma wsp*)
comma:
    ","
integer-constant:
    digit-sequence
floating-point-constant:
    fractional-constant exponent?
    | digit-sequence exponent
fractional-constant:
    digit-sequence? "." digit-sequence
    | digit-sequence "."
exponent:
    ( "e" | "E" ) sign? digit-sequence
sign:
    "+" | "-"
digit-sequence:
    digit
    | digit digit-sequence
digit:
    "0" | "1" | "2" | "3" | "4" | "5" | "6" | "7" | "8" | "9"
wsp:
    (#x20 | #x9 | #xD | #xA)+

DOM interfaces

Interface SVGRectElement

Interface SVGCircleElement

Interface SVGEllipseElement

Interface SVGLineElement

Interface SVGAnimatedPoints

Interface SVGPolylineElement

Interface SVGPolygonElement