Refreshing pre-established CSS styles

I am currently working on developing an alternative design for a website as a backup plan. Unfortunately, I am restricted in terms of changing the architecture of the system. The main stylesheet is loaded first, followed by a second one which I have control over. My main challenge lies in resetting certain aspects of the CSS, especially the styling of form elements.

Despite my efforts, I am facing difficulties in achieving this. Take for example a <button>:

background: rgb(88,222,255);
border-radius: 4px;
border: 1px solid #91d7eb;
box-shadow: 0px 2px 4px 0px rgba(1, 75, 138, .8);
color: #FFF;
cursor: pointer;
font-family: "Graphic-Font";
font-size: 25px;
font-weight: bold;
text-shadow: 0px 1px 3px #014b8a;
padding: 10px 40px;

Although I attempt to set background: none, border-radius: none and so forth, the button ends up losing its style altogether instead of reverting to the default browser style. My goal is to restore the form elements to their default browser styling, along with other elements on the page. However, I am struggling to remove the styling from at least the form elements.

To clarify, simplifying the question: How can one reset the styling of a <button> to its default state?

css

Answer №1

If you're looking to start fresh with your CSS, I recommend utilizing a CSS reset like the one created by Eric Meyers. This can help you avoid issues where you unintentionally override default browser styles.

When it comes to aligning with browser defaults, you can access and modify user agent stylesheets to tailor them to your needs. Websites like this one provide copies of default UA stylesheets for various browsers. While each browser has its own stylesheets, you can select a preferred default style or use the W3C's recommended default browser styles across all browsers.

However, customizing form elements can be problematic as browsers may alter their rendering mode when specific styles are applied. For instance, IE7 may not support rounded corners, yet changing the button's border can disrupt the default styling. In such cases, using an image may be necessary to achieve the desired look.

Instead of striving for a perfect match to native browser styles, consider modifying a UA default stylesheet to create a more universal, cross-browser default appearance. While it may not replicate the exact native styling, it can provide a close approximation.

Answer №2

It is crucial to grasp the concept of CSS specificity and how it functions. Modifying CSS rules can be done by increasing their specificity compared to other rules.

Consider this example:

<div class="content">
    <div class="wrapper"><span>Hello World</span></div>
</div>

CSS:

.content .wrapper span { ... }
.wrapper span { ... }

In this scenario, the first declaration will take precedence over the second one due to its higher specificity. Often, adjusting the parent element or class can effectively override a rule for an inner element. This technique proves useful in various CMS platforms like WordPress, where accessing the main stylesheet may not be an option, or to simply customize specific sections without altering the overall design.

Make sure to give the article a thorough read as it holds significant importance.

CSS Specificity: Things You Should Know

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