When to Use `background` vs. `background-color` in CSS?

Distinguishing Background vs. Background-Color in CSS

When defining the background appearance of an element in CSS, you may encounter both the background and background-color properties. While they share the purpose of controlling background color, there are subtle differences in their usage.

The background property is a shorthand declaration that encapsulates multiple sub-properties related to the background, including background-color, background-image, and others. Using background allows you to set multiple background properties at once, optionally omitting any sub-properties you don't want to specify.

In your example, body { background-color: blue; } and body { background: blue; } both result in the same background color of blue. This is because background is simply a shorthand for background-color in this specific instance.

The background-color property, on the other hand, is a dedicated property solely responsible for setting the background color. It does not affect any other background-related properties.

Choosing between background and background-color depends on your specific needs. If you want to set multiple background properties simultaneously, background is a convenient option. However, if you only need to control the background color while preserving other inherited or previously defined background properties, background-color is a more precise choice.

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