Are Relative Paths in CSS Relative to the CSS File Itself?

CSS Relative Paths: Understanding Their Reference Point

In CSS, using relative paths to reference external resources such as images can be a practical approach. However, it's crucial to understand where these paths are relative to.

Is a Relative Path in a CSS File Relative to the CSS File?

The answer is a resounding yes. Relative paths in CSS are resolved relative to the location of the CSS file itself. This means that when you specify a relative path for an image or any other external resource, the browser will search for the file starting from the same folder as the CSS file.

Example

Consider the following scenario:

• Page: page.htm (location: does not matter where)
• CSS: /resources/css/styles.css
• Image: /resources/images/image.jpg

The following CSS code in styles.css references the image using a relative path:

div { background-image: url('../images/image.jpg'); }

In this example, the relative path "../images/image.jpg" means:

• Go up one directory level (indicated by ".." in the path)
• Enter the "images" directory
• Find the file "image.jpg"

The browser will interpret this relative path relative to the location of styles.css, which is "/resources/css/," and successfully locate the image at "/resources/images/image.jpg."

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