Which is more optimal for importing CSS - using the link tag or style tag?

Is this a matter of personal preference or is there a specific advantage to using one method over the other?

<link href="main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">

versus

<style type="text/css>
@import url('main.css');
</style>

Answer №1

As per suggestions from Yahoo's guide on optimizing website performance, it is recommended to always use <link> instead of @import. For more in-depth insights, check out this informative blog post.

According to tests conducted on IE versions 6, 7, and 8, using @import leads to a sequential downloading of stylesheets. Optimal page speed relies on parallel downloading of resources, which is hindered by this behavior in IE resulting in longer load times.

By utilizing <link>, browsers can initiate multiple connections simultaneously, ultimately reducing loading durations.

Answer №2

Simply put, @import is not compatible with outdated browsers and can encounter issues with certain common browsers such as IE6 and IE7. It may also behave differently across various browsers and offers no significant advantage over using <link>.

In more detail, the preference is to utilize <link>, however, there were once scenarios where utilizing @import was practical. As noted on a source about CSS differences::

One reason to opt for @import (or in conjunction) was due to older browsers lacking support for it, allowing for styles to be concealed from them.

This mainly pertains to concealing styles from IE4, which is now considered mostly irrelevant. One instance involved hiding styles from IE6, though this can be better achieved through Conditional comments.

A more contemporary comparison can be found in an article discussing the CSS @import rule::

When it comes to Internet Explorer (inevitably entering the conversation), specifying media types can cause complications. Essentially, IE (versions 4-7) struggles with interpreting media type and could lead to errors. Thus, if you wish to specify a media type other than "all" for your CSS, it is advisable to combine the <link> tag with imports - setting a media type in your link and then importing suitable CSS within the linked file. The impact of this issue on IE8 is uncertain (feel free to share insights if known).

Further insight can be gained from Yahoo's tips on speeding up web performance:http://developer.yahoo.com/performance/rules.html:

Prior advice emphasized placing CSS at the top for progressive rendering.

In the case of IE, @import behaves similarly to placing <style> at the end of the page, hence it is advised against usage.

However, the explanation behind this recommendation may require additional context (hence the provided links).

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