It's easy to get started with Canvas UI.
First, you'll need to get the code. Later, there may be code releases, but for now, CVS is the only way. Go here to get it.
Second, you need to build the code. Canvas UI uses ant for its build. The build.xml is in the src directory. Run "ant jar" and the canvas.jar file will be created in the src/build directory.
There is a built-in test for the canvas.jar file. In the src directory, you will find testapplet.html and testapplet.css. Copy these files along with the canvas.jar to an accessible webserver directory. From there, you can use appletviewer on the html file to bring up the test, or point your favorite web browser to the html file. If you use a web browser, make sure it's running at least the Java 1.3 Runtime or higher.
By now, you've run the built-in test for Canvas UI. You're well on your way to using Canvas UI in your own applets or applications. All the documentation you'll need is in the docs directory, including javadoc api documentation.
The Canvas UI project is not complete yet! We can use your help! If you've got a knack for efficient UI programming, please feel free to help out. If you're looking for something to help with, send me a message! After we adopt your first code enhancement, we can add you to the list of developers!