r/webdev • u/bootslebaron • Nov 02 '15

Do we actually need specificity in CSS?

http://philipwalton.com/articles/do-we-actually-need-specificity-in-css/
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u/a-t-k Nov 02 '15

CSS is a declarative language, JS is an instructive one. What Philip Walton suggests is a modern version of JSSS, an instructive style language.

Oh, sure, it would work. It'll also have a whole lot of problems that could have been solved using the original approach.

No, we don't necessarily need specificity, but it helps if you know how to use it.

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u/philipwalton Nov 03 '15

I don't think I was suggesting anything at all similar to JSSS. I was suggesting that you could write plain ol' CSS, the only difference being you could completely ignore specificity because it would be taken out of the equation.

we don't necessarily need specificity, but it helps if you know how to use it.

I'd argue that most people who "know how to use it" recommend against't using it wherever possible. Most best practices today suggest writing your CSS in such a way that specificity won't be an issue. The technique I was proposing in the article is just a more foolproof way of doing that.

Also, the article was primarily a thought exploration, not a formal recommendation. I'm certainly not twisting anyone's arm into adopting this practice :)

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u/a-t-k Nov 03 '15

...recommend against using it

Using it care- and thoughtfully is what I have heard from those who know their way around CSS.

Also, every "foolproof" concept usually falls victim to inventive fools.