Elements of Style - HTML Manual of Style - page 143

In a manner similar to the font property, the various background proper-
ties can be combined into one rule using the background property. he order-
ing is color, image, repeat attachment, and position. For example:
body { background: white url(shading.png) repeat-y static 0px 10px; }
his format is encouraged because it is more widely supported among older
browsers and is shorter to type. Any property values not speciied are given
their default values.
Text Properties
he important CSS properties that afect the appearance of text include text-
align , text-decoration , text-indent , text-transform , line-height , letter-
spacing , word-spacing , white-space , and vertical-align . Unlike the font,
background, and some other properties, there is no shorthand form to combine
the various individual properties that set the characteristics of element text.
TExT-ALiGN
he text-align property controls the horizontal alignment of content within an
element. he permissible values are left , right , center , start , end , justify , and
inherit . he justify value instructs browsers to add letter and word spacing
to the text so that each line of text—except, perhaps, the last—occupies the full
width of the element minus any padding and border. he last line of justiied
text can be controlled with the text-align-last property, which accepts the same
values as the text-align property. Authors are cautioned to use justiied text
only in the simplest cases. An element with mixed font families, sizes, and styles
may display poorly in some browsers when the text is justiied.
TExT-dECorATioN
his property allows web authors to add certain efects to element text. he
permissible values are underline , overline , line-through , blink (which brows-
ers are not required to support), and inherit . Values can be combined in a
single statement. However, subsequent settings of the text-decoration prop-
erty will override any previous rules in efect for the same element. Proposed
CSS3 extensions for reining the line that a browser draws above, below, or
through the text include the text-line-color and text-line-style properties.
Text decoration is most commonly used to turn of the underlining of
anchor elements where it is obvious that the content is linked, as with naviga-
tion buttons, for example:
#nav li a { text-decoration: none; }