Is my class more specific than my ID when using the parent ID and descendant combinator in CSS specificity?

Could it be that my logic is flawed and this CSS rule is actually valid?

Let's break it down:

  1. My ID is more specific than my class.

Furthermore:

  1. My ID is more specific than the parent ID.

However:

  1. Is parent ID, when combined with the descendant selector (space), more specific than my ID?

Take a look at the example - JS Bin.

This finding is unexpected, as it is not commonly discussed in the realm of Specificity Wars or in the official W3 documentation on specificity.

Answer №1

The specificity of [My ID] surpasses that of [parent ID]

Contrary to popular belief, an ID stands alone in its specificity. The crucial factor in your scenario is identifying the particular element to which it is assigned.

In the context of [parent ID], the [descendant combinator (space)] [my class] holds greater specificity than [my ID]

Indeed, it is a valid statement, and it denotes higher specificity. Referring to the W3C's abc model:

#child { // 1, 0, 0 = 100 Specificity }

#parent .foo { // 1, 1, 0 = 110 Specificity }

#parent #child { // 2, 0, 0 = 200 Specificity }

#parent #child.foo { // 2, 1, 0 = 210 Specificity }

Therefore, #parent .foo takes precedence over #child, while #parent #child trumps #parent .foo

#parent { /* 100 */
  color: blue;
}
#parent .foo { /* 110 */
  color: green;
}
#child { /* 100 */
  color: red;
}
#parent #child { /* 200 */
  color: aqua;
}
<div id="parent">
  <div id="child" class="foo bar">what color am I?</div>
</div>

Answer №2

[My ID] holds a higher level of specificity compared to [parent ID].

In reality, they both possess the same level of specificity since an ID remains constant in its specificity. However, if the two IDs are targeting different elements, then specificity becomes inconsequential.

Remember, specificity only becomes a factor when multiple selectors are targeting the same element.

Is [parent ID] [descendant combinator (space)] [my class] more specific than [my ID]?

The inclusion of a class selector makes the former more specific than the latter.

It's important to note that combinators do not impact specificity. The complex selector #id .class utilizing a descendant combinator is as specific as the compound selector #id.class.

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