CSS Syntax is the set of rules that you need to follow when writing and applying CSS code to your web pages. CSS Syntax defines how you can select, style and modify the appearance of your web elements using CSS.
But what exactly is CSS Syntax and how does it work? How can you master CSS Syntax and use it effectively? What are the common mistakes that you should avoid when writing and applying CSS code?
You want to get answer to all of these questions. If yes, then let’s get started!
CSS Syntax Structure
The structure of CSS Syntax can be represented as follows:
selector {property: value; property: value;}
selector {
property: value;
property: value;
}
Example:
p {
color: red;
font-size: 18px;
}
CSS Syntax is composed of three main components: selectors
, declarations
, and rules
. These components work together to create and apply styles to your web elements.
Selectors: Selectors are the part of CSS Syntax that specify which element or elements you want to style. For example, p
is a selector that targets all paragraph elements on the web page.
Declarations: Declarations are the part of CSS Syntax that specify what style or styles you want to apply to the selected element or elements.
Declarations consist of two parts:
- property: A property is the part that specifies what aspect of the element you want to change
- value: A value is the part that specifies how you want to change it
For example, color: red;
is a declaration that changes the color of the text inside the selected element or elements to red.
color
is the property that specifies the aspect of the element that you want to change.red
is the value that specifies how you want to change it.
Rules: Rules are the part of CSS Syntax that combine selectors and declarations to create and apply styles to your web elements. Rules consist of a selector followed by one or more declarations enclosed in curly braces ({}).
For example, p {color: red; font-size: 18px;}
is a rule that applies two declarations (color and font-size) to all paragraph elements on the web page.
Methods to Write and Apply CSS Code
There are three main methods to write and apply CSS code to your web pages:
- Inline
- Internal
- External
1. Inline CSS
Inline CSS is the method of writing and applying CSS code directly to an HTML element using the style attribute. For example, this is how you would write and apply inline CSS to a paragraph element:
<p style="color: red; font-size: 18px;">This is a paragraph with inline CSS.</p>
Advantage of Inline CSS
The advantage of inline CSS is that it is easy and quick to use, and it has the highest specificity among all CSS methods. This means that it can override any other CSS rules that apply to the same element.
Disadvantage of Inline CSS
The disadvantage of inline CSS is that it is not reusable, maintainable or scalable. This means that you have to write and apply the same CSS code for every element that you want to style, which can result in a lot of repetition in your HTML code. It also means that you have to update or change the CSS code for every element individually, which can be time-consuming.
2. Internal CSS
Internal CSS is the method of writing and applying CSS code within the <head>
section of your HTML file using the <style>
tag. For example, this is how you would write and apply internal CSS to your HTML file:
<head>
<style>
p {
color: red;
font-size: 18px;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>This is a paragraph with internal CSS.</p>
</body>
Advantage of Internal CSS
The advantage of internal CSS is that it is reusable, maintainable and scalable. This means that you can write and apply the same CSS code for multiple elements or web pages within the same HTML file, which can reduce the file size and loading time of your web pages. It also means that you can update or change the CSS code in one place, which can save you time and effort.
Disadvantage of CSS
The disadvantage of internal CSS is that it is not portable or modular. This means that you cannot use or share the same CSS code for different HTML files or projects, which can limit your flexibility and creativity. It also means that you have to mix your HTML and CSS code in the same file, which can affect the readability and organization of your code.
3. External CSS
External CSS is the method of writing and applying CSS code in a separate file with a .css
extension and linking it to your HTML file using the <link>
tag. For example, this is how you would write and apply external CSS to your HTML file:
HTML File:
<head>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">
</head>
<body>
<p>This is a paragraph with external CSS.</p>
</body>
CSS File:
And this is how you would write the external CSS file (style.css
):
p {
color: red;
font-size: 18px;
}
Advantage of External CSS
The advantage of external CSS is that it is portable, modular, reusable, maintainable and scalable. This means that you can use or share the same CSS file for different HTML files or projects, which can increase your productivity and efficiency. It also means that you can write and apply the same CSS code for multiple elements or web pages across different HTML files. It also means that you can separate your HTML and CSS code in different files.
Disadvantage of External CSS
The disadvantage of external CSS is that it requires an extra HTTP request to load the external CSS file, which can affect the performance and speed of your web pages. It also means that you have to manage multiple files for your web design project, which can be challenging and complex.
These are the three main methods to write and apply CSS code to your web pages. You can also use a combination of these methods to achieve different effects or results. However, it is generally recommended to use external CSS as much as possible, as it offers the most benefits and best practices for web design.
Case Sensitivity in CSS
In general, CSS is case insensitive, which means that uppercase and lowercase letters are treated the same. For example, these are equivalent in CSS:
p {
color: red;
}
P {
COLOR: RED;
}
p {
CoLoR: rEd;
}
However, there are some cases where case sensitivity matters in CSS.
Conclusion
These are some of the features or characteristics of CSS syntax that affect how you write and apply CSS code to your web pages. You should be aware of them and use them correctly and consistently in your web design projects.