How Can I Effectively Manage CSS Explosion and Maintain Clean, Efficient Stylesheets?

Managing the CSS Explosion: Practical Guidelines for Maintaining Control

Managing CSS code becomes paramount as websites evolve and complexity increases. Neglect can lead to a "CSS explosion" that impedes clarity and efficiency. Here are some recommended practices to keep your CSS files under control:

Refactoring and Optimization

• Refine CSS files regularly, merging similar class definitions and removing obsolete ones promptly.
• Comment bug-fixing changes to clarify their purpose.

Avoid Redundancy

• Prevent duplicate definitions by grouping related sections or using inheritance.

Effective Organization

• Use clear headers (/ Head /) to structure CSS files.
• Leverage pretifier tools (e.g., Polystyle, Code Beautifier) to maintain consistency.

Sensible Class Design

• Identify main page sections, and specify ancestry in CSS classes.
• Group classes according to their relationship. Aim for minimal classes and repetition.
• For example, use classes for common navigation menu properties and specific classes for menu level heights.

Separating Design from Markup

• Define global settings in the body element, such as font family and color.
• Avoid !important. It creates maintenance issues in complex structures.

HTML Best Practices

• Assign unique classes to body elements for page-specific tweaks.
• Provide adequate CSS context in menus for extensive styling (e.g., first/last items, active items).
• Utilize multiple classes for semantic access, although be aware of IE6 limitations.

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