When applying multiple CSS rules to an element, what takes precedence?

The concept of CSS precedence is crucial for understanding how styles are applied to HTML elements. In CSS, the order of precedence is determined by several factors, among which specificity plays a critical role.

Specificity refers to the weight or priority of a CSS selector. When there are conflicting rules targeting the same element, the browser calculates the specificity of each selector in order to determine which rule will be applied. Specificity is calculated based on the types of selectors used: inline styles have the highest specificity, followed by IDs, classes, attributes, and element selectors. This means that a selector that is more specific will take precedence over one that is less specific, regardless of where it is defined (inline, internal, or external).

For instance, if you have a class selector and an ID selector that both apply styles to the same element, the ID selector will override the class selector because it has a higher specificity. This principle allows developers to create more targeted and refined styles without the need for repetitive or excessive styles in the CSS files.

While inline styles often take precedence over both internal and external stylesheets due to their direct application to an element, the overall rule of precedence is primarily guided by specificity. Therefore, understanding how specificity works helps in predicting how styles will