External style sheets are a powerful tool in HTML, allowing developers to apply a consistent style across multiple pages on a website. They are saved in .css files and linked to HTML documents, so any changes to the style sheet will automatically be applied to all linked documents.
The correct way to add an external style sheet in HTML is by using the <link>
element, which must be located inside the <head>
section of an HTML document.
Here's the correct syntax:
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="mystyle.css">
This element has several attributes:
rel
: Describes the relationship between the HTML document and the linked resource. In this case, "stylesheet" indicates that the linked resource is a style sheet.
type
: Indicates the MIME type of the linked resource, which is "text/css" for CSS style sheets.
href
: Specifies the URL of the linked resource. This could be a relative or absolute path, depending on where the .css file is located in relation to the HTML file.
Incorrect examples, such as <style src="mystyle.css" />
or <stylesheet>mystyle.css</stylesheet>
, fail to properly link the .css file to the HTML document. They won't throw an error, but they won't apply the desired styles either.
It's also important to note that HTML documents can be linked to multiple style sheets. However, if there are conflicting styles, the last linked style sheet will take precedence. Therefore, careful organization and structuring of your style sheets is a best practice to consider, potentially using one main style sheet for common styles and others for unique page-specific styles.
External style sheets provide a clean and efficient way to manage your website's design, and learning how to properly implement them in HTML is a crucial skill for any web developer.