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Which HTML tag is used to define an external stylesheet?
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Understanding the Use of the HTML <link> Tag for External Stylesheets

In HTML, the <link> tag is used to define the relationship between the current document and an external stylesheet. This provides you with a way to separate your styling code (CSS) from your HTML structure, making your code more modular, clearer, better organized, and easier to maintain.

Importance of the <link> Tag

The importance of the <link> tag in HTML development cannot be overstated. The ability to separate CSS styles from the HTML file enhances the readability and scalability of your code, allowing several HTML files to share the same style sheet. This means you can change the look of an entire website by editing a single file.

Here is how the <link> tag is typically used for this purpose:

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="styles.css">

In the example above, a .css file named styles.css is being linked to the HTML document. The rel attribute specifies the relationship between the HTML document and the linked file, in this case, it is stylesheet. The type attribute tells the browser the document type to expect — for a CSS file, it's always text/css.

Additional Thoughts

While the <style> tag is also used in conjunction with CSS, it serves a different purpose — for internal CSS, where the CSS rules are included within the HTML file itself.

It's important to remember that while the <link> tag is a powerful tool for including external stylesheets or other resources, using it properly, such as placing it within the <head> section of your HTML document is equally critical for optimal performance and adherence to HTML best practices.

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