When incorporating additional HTML elements into a webpage using Javascript or jQuery, along with external CSS declarations, it is important to avoid conflicts with existing IDs and class names already present on the page. This could lead to issues if there are conflicting IDs such as "outerWrapper" or "nav" that are used in both the existing content and the new content being added.
Creating code for your own web pages can be relatively straightforward, but when providing code that may be used on third-party websites, it becomes more challenging. There is limited control over the IDs and class names already in use on the page, as well as potential changes to the page structure in the future.
So, what is the recommended approach for managing these conflicts when working with code intended for third-party usage?
Historically, iframes have been utilized as a solution, although they are not considered ideal. While CSS child selectors can help prevent our added CSS from affecting existing elements and classes, they do not address the issue of new elements inheriting styles from pre-existing CSS rules.
One possible strategy is to prefix all IDs of the added content with a unique identifier, such as a company name, product name, or container name. For example, JWPlayer prefixes the container name to all element IDs for its HTML5 player to mitigate potential conflicts.
I would love to hear any insights or suggestions on this topic.