Summary
The summary of every CSS property definition says whether that property is inherited by default ("Inherited: Yes") or not inherited by default ("Inherited: no"). This controls what happens when no value is specified for a property on an element.
Inherited properties
When no value for an inherited property has been specified on an element, the element gets the computed value of that property on its parent element. Only the root element of the document gets the initial value given in the property's summary.
A typical example of an inherited property is the color
property. Given the style rules:
reference to undefined name 'syntax' Exception of type 'MindTouch.Deki.Script.Runtime.DekiScriptUndefinedNameException' was thrown. (click for details)Callstack:
at en/CSS/inheritance
MindTouch.Deki.Script.Runtime.DekiScriptUndefinedNameException: reference to undefined name 'syntax' Exception of type 'MindTouch.Deki.Script.Runtime.DekiScriptUndefinedNameException' was thrown.
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptVar expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptVar.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Evaluate (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptAccess expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state, Boolean evaluateProperties) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptAccess expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptAccess.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptCall expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptCall.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptSequence expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptSequence.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptReturnScope expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
and the markup:
reference to undefined name 'syntax' Exception of type 'MindTouch.Deki.Script.Runtime.DekiScriptUndefinedNameException' was thrown. (click for details)Callstack:
at en/CSS/inheritance
MindTouch.Deki.Script.Runtime.DekiScriptUndefinedNameException: reference to undefined name 'syntax' Exception of type 'MindTouch.Deki.Script.Runtime.DekiScriptUndefinedNameException' was thrown.
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptVar expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptVar.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Evaluate (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptAccess expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state, Boolean evaluateProperties) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptAccess expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptAccess.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptCall expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptCall.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptSequence expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptSequence.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptReturnScope expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
the words "emphasized text" will appear green, since the em element has inherited the value of the color
property from the p element. It does not get the initial value of the property (which is the color that is used for the root element when the page specifies no color).
Non-inherited properties
When no value for an non-inherited property (sometimes called a reset property in Mozilla code) has been specified on an element, the element gets the initial value of that property (as specified in the property's summary).
A typical example of a non-inherited property is the border
property. Given the style rules:
reference to undefined name 'syntax' Exception of type 'MindTouch.Deki.Script.Runtime.DekiScriptUndefinedNameException' was thrown. (click for details)Callstack:
at en/CSS/inheritance
MindTouch.Deki.Script.Runtime.DekiScriptUndefinedNameException: reference to undefined name 'syntax' Exception of type 'MindTouch.Deki.Script.Runtime.DekiScriptUndefinedNameException' was thrown.
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptVar expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptVar.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Evaluate (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptAccess expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state, Boolean evaluateProperties) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptAccess expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptAccess.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptCall expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptCall.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptSequence expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptSequence.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptReturnScope expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
and the markup
reference to undefined name 'syntax' Exception of type 'MindTouch.Deki.Script.Runtime.DekiScriptUndefinedNameException' was thrown. (click for details)Callstack:
at en/CSS/inheritance
MindTouch.Deki.Script.Runtime.DekiScriptUndefinedNameException: reference to undefined name 'syntax' Exception of type 'MindTouch.Deki.Script.Runtime.DekiScriptUndefinedNameException' was thrown.
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptVar expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptVar.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Evaluate (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptAccess expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state, Boolean evaluateProperties) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptAccess expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptAccess.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptCall expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptCall.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptSequence expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptSequence.VisitWith[DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState,Range] (IDekiScriptExpressionVisitor`2 visitor, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
at MindTouch.Deki.Script.Compiler.DekiScriptExpressionEvaluation.Visit (MindTouch.Deki.Script.Expr.DekiScriptReturnScope expr, DekiScriptExpressionEvaluationState state) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0
the words "emphasized text" will not have a border (since the initial value of border-style
is none).
Notes
The inherit
keyword allows authors to explicitly specify inheritance. It works on both inherited and non-inherited properties.
