Inline

When styling web pages, there are two primary methods for applying CSS properties: inline style tags and inline CSS properties. Inline style tags are defined within the HTML code, while inline CSS properties are applied to specific elements using the "style" attribute. While both methods can achieve similar results, there are distinct advantages and disadvantages to consider.

External Stylesheets, In-Page Style Tags, and Inline Styles

Style rules can be attached using three primary methods:

• External Files: CSS rules are defined in a separate file that is linked to from the HTML document.
• In-Page Style Tags: CSS rules are defined within the
• Inline Style Attribute: CSS rules are applied directly to HTML elements using the "style" attribute.

Inline Style Tags vs. Inline CSS Properties

For the purpose of this discussion, let's compare inline style tags and inline CSS properties. Inline style tags, as mentioned earlier, are defined within the HTML code itself, while inline CSS properties are applied using the "style" attribute.

Generally, inline style tags are preferred over inline CSS properties because they:

• Provide a clear separation of markup from styling.
• Produce cleaner HTML markup.
• Are more efficient with selectors, allowing the application of rules to multiple elements on a page.

Inline elements, on the other hand, only affect the respective element they are applied to.

Specificity and Override Rules

An important difference between inline style tags and inline CSS properties is specificity. Specificity determines when one style overrides another. Inline styles generally have a higher specificity than styles defined in inline style tags. For a better understanding of this concept, refer to the informative article "CSS: Specificity Wars."