How come the html element doesn't have a default height of 100%?

Is there a reason why the html element is not automatically set at 100% height by default? Can you think of any scenarios where having it take up less than the full height of the window would be beneficial?

html {
  height: 100%;
}

[Update] I modified the title and omitted mention of the body tag because my focus is specifically on the html tag.

[Update] Just to address any nitpickers out there, I understand that this decision was made ages ago in the early days of the internet and changing the default value could have catastrophic consequences. I am simply curious if there are practical instances where setting the height of the html element to something other than 100%, or not setting it at all, would be advantageous. Is it simpler for everyone to just stick with 100%, or are there exceptions that may cause complications?

Answer №1

Whether or not it is advisable varies based on the specific use case of the application. Specifically, if you are looking to have a smaller body height compared to the full height, then it may be wise to consider this approach.

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