Difference between reset vs normalize CSS
Last Updated :
18 Jun, 2024
Ensuring a consistent user experience across different browsers can be a challenging task for web developers. Each browser has its built-in styles, which can vary depending on the operating system or the browser itself. This variation can lead to inconsistencies in how a webpage is displayed to users.
To address this issue, developers use two main techniques: CSS Reset and Normalize CSS. Both methods aim to override the browser's default styles to achieve uniformity, but they do so in different ways. This article will explore the differences between CSS Reset and Normalize CSS, and how they can be used to create a consistent look and feel for your website across all browsers.
CSS Reset
Reset CSS: As the name implies, this technique removes all of the browser's default styles, restoring all HTML components to a uniform starting point. It is a "slash and burn" method that gets rid of all default styles, allowing developers to start from scratch. Since default styles, such as font size or margin, are rarely utilized, this approach is effective for headers and other elements.
Since we rarely utilize the browser's default font size or margin, this strategy works well with the default style for headers.
Reset typically functions by stripping the element down to default by using a universal selector to set all HTML tags to have the same font size, alignments, and no padding, margin, or border.
*{
border :0px;
margin :0px;
font-size:100%;
font : inherit:
}Example: This illustration will demonstrate the reset CSS approach.
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<title>
Resetting CSS | GeeksForGeeks
</title>
<!-- Import the CSS Reset -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href=
"http://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/css/reset/reset.css">
</head>
<body>
<!-- HTML Content -->
<h1>GeeksForGeeks</h1>
<h2>Difference between reset vs normalize CSS?</h2>
<h3>We Are Performing Reset CSS</h3>
</body>
</html>
Output:
RESET CSSExplanation: In the above example, we imported the reset CSS which removed the browser's default styles. we can differentiate between the browser's default CSS and CSS after we imported the reset CSS.
Default  CSS vs Reset CSSNormalize CSS
Normalize CSS: This technique aims to make browser styling consistent across all browsers without completely removing default styles. Normalize CSS provides cross-browser consistency while adhering to modern CSS standards. Including Normalize CSS at the beginning of your CSS file ensures that all browsers start with the same rules.
Example 2: This illustration will demonstrate the normalized CSS approach.
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<title>
Normalizing CSS | GeeksForGeeks
</title>
<!-- Import Normalize.css -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href=
"https://necolas.github.io/normalize.css/7.0.0/normalize.css">
</head>
<body>
<!-- HTML Content -->
<h1>GeeksForGeeks</h1>
<h2>Difference between reset vs normalize CSS?</h2>
<h3>We Are Performing Normalize CSS</h3>
</body>
</html>
Output:
Normalize CSSExplanation: In the above example, we imported a Normalize CSS which set a standard value for every element which is consistent in all browsers.
we can differentiate between the browser's default CSS and CSS after we imported the normalize CSS.
Difference Between Rest and Normalize in CSS:
Reset | Normalize |
| resets all of the user's agent-bundled styles for the browser. | ensures that the HTML elements' user-agent-provided default styling is consistent across browsers. |
| Resetting makes a lot of pointless overrides in the styling and has a long chain of selectors. | Since it makes use of the User Agent's styles, there aren't many long chains of CSS Selectors to be noticed while normalizing. |
| As it is practically impossible to find bugs, debugging is challenging. | It's simple to debug while normalizing |
| Reset is Not Modular (no section breaking in styles) | Reset Isn't Modular (no section breaking in styles) |
| Resets are intended to remove all default browser styles. | The goal of normalizing CSS is to apply built-in browser styling across all browsers uniformly. |
In conclusion, both CSS Reset and Normalize CSS are essential tools for web developers seeking to create a consistent user experience across different browsers. While CSS Reset removes all default browser styles to provide a blank canvas, Normalize CSS takes a more balanced approach by maintaining useful default styles and ensuring consistency across browsers. Understanding the differences between these two techniques allows developers to choose the appropriate method based on their specific needs. By implementing either CSS Reset or Normalize CSS, you can ensure that all users, regardless of their browser or operating system, will have a uniform and enjoyable experience on your website.
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