CSS Pseudo-classes

|  | Search W3Schools : |

HOME | HTML | CSS | XML | JAVASCRIPT | ASP | PHP | SQL | MORE... |  | References | Examples | Forum | About

ADVERTISEMENTS XML Certification Download XML editor Custom Programming |  |

Table of contents

CSS Basic
CSS HOME
CSS Introduction
CSS Syntax
CSS How To
CSS Background
CSS Text
CSS Font
CSS Border
CSS Outline
CSS Margin
CSS Padding
CSS List
CSS Table
CSS Advanced
CSS Dimension
CSS Classification
CSS Positioning
CSS Pseudo-class
CSS Pseudo-element
CSS Image Gallery
CSS Image Opacity
CSS Media Types
CSS Don't
CSS Summary
CSS Examples
CSS Examples
References
CSS2 Reference
CSS2 Print
CSS2 Aural
CSS Units
CSS Colors
CSS Colorvalues
CSS Colornames
CSS Quiz
CSS Quiz
CSS Exam

Selected Reading

Web Statistics
Web Glossary
Web Hosting
Web Quality
W3Schools Tutorials
W3Schools Forum
Helping W3Schools

# CSS Pseudo-classes

CSS pseudo-classes are used to add special effects to some selectors.

## Examples

Hyperlink
This example demonstrates how to add different colors to a hyperlink in a document.

Hyperlink 2
This example demonstrates how to add other styles to hyperlinks.

Hyperlink: use of :focus (does not work in IE)
This example demonstrates how to use the :focus pseudo-class on a hyperlink.

:first-child - change first child <p>
This example sets any <p> element that is the first child of any element to blue.

:first-child - change first child <i> in all <p> elements
This example sets the first <i> element in all <p> elements to blue.

:first-child - change all <i> elements in first child <p>
This example sets any <i> elements in first child <p> elements to blue.

:lang (does not work in IE)
This example demonstrates the use of the :lang pseudo-class.

## Syntax

The syntax of pseudo-classes:

    selector:pseudo-class {property: value}

CSS classes can also be used with pseudo-classes:

    selector.class:pseudo-class {property: value}

## Anchor Pseudo-classes

A link that is active, visited, unvisited, or when you mouse over a link can all be displayed in different ways in a CSS-supporting browser:

    a:link {color: #FF0000}     /* unvisited link */
    a:visited {color: #00FF00}  /* visited link */
    a:hover {color: #FF00FF}   /* mouse over link */
    a:active {color: #0000FF}   /* selected link */

Note: a:hover MUST come after a:link and a:visited in the CSS definition in order to be effective!!

Note: a:active MUST come after a:hover in the CSS definition in order to be effective!!

Note: Pseudo-class names are not case-sensitive.

## Pseudo-classes and CSS Classes

Pseudo-classes can be combined with CSS classes:

    a.red:visited {color: #FF0000}

    <a class="red" href="css_syntax.asp">CSS Syntax</a>

If the link in the example above has been visited, it will be displayed in red.

## CSS2 - The :first-child Pseudo-class

The :first-child pseudo-class matches a specified element that is the first child of another element.

Note: For :first-child to work in IE a <!DOCTYPE> must be declared.

## Match the first <p> element

In the following example, the selector matches any <p> element that is the first child of any element:

    <html>
    <head>
    <style type="text/css">
    p:first-child
    {
    color:blue
    }
    </style>
    </head>

    <body>
    <p>I am a strong man.</p>
    <p>I am a strong man.</p>
    </body>
    </html>

Try it yourself!

## Match the first <i> element in all <p> elements

In the following example, the selector matches the first <i> element in all <p> elements:

    <html>
    <head>
    <style type="text/css">
    p > i:first-child
    {
    font-weight:bold
    }
    </style>
    </head>

    <body>
    <p>I am a <i>strong</i> man. I am a <i>strong</i> man.</p>
    <p>I am a <i>strong</i> man. I am a <i>strong</i> man.</p>
    </body>
    </html>

Try it yourself!

## Match all <i> elements in all first child <p> elements

In the following example, the selector matches all <i> elements in <p> elements that are the first child of another element:

    <html>
    <head>
    <style type="text/css">
    p:first-child i
    {
    color:blue
    }
    </style>
    </head>

    <body>
    <p>I am a <i>strong</i> man. I am a <i>strong</i> man.</p>
    <p>I am a <i>strong</i> man. I am a <i>strong</i> man.</p>
    </body>
    </html>

Try it yourself!

## CSS2 - The :lang Pseudo-class

The :lang pseudo-class allows you to define special rules for different languages. In the example below, the :lang class defines the type of quotation marks for q elements with a lang attribute with a value of "no":

    <html>
    <head>
    <style type="text/css">
    q:lang(no)
    {
    quotes: "~" "~"
    }
    </style>
    </head>

    <body>
    <p>Some text <q lang="no">A quote in a paragraph</q>
    Some text.</p>
    </body>

    </html>

## Pseudo-classes

Browser support: IE: Internet Explorer, F: Firefox, N: Netscape.

W3C: The number in the "W3C" column indicates in which CSS recommendation the property is defined (CSS1 or CSS2).

Pseudo-class | Purpose | IE | F | N | W3C
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
:active | Adds special style to an activated element | 4 | 1 | 8 | 1
:focus | Adds special style to an element while the element has focus | - | 1.5 | 8 | 2
:hover | Adds special style to an element when you mouse over it | 4 | 1 | 7 | 1
:link | Adds special style to an unvisited link | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1
:visited | Adds special style to a visited link | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1
:first-child | Adds special style to an element that is the first child of some other element | 7 | 1 | 7 | 2
:lang | Allows the author to specify a language to use in a specified element | - | 1 | 8 | 2

## Make your web applications look like a million bucks

Most web applications today use boring methods to present data to their viewers using grids or simple HTML tables. FusionCharts induces "life" into the web applications by converting monotonous data into lively charts, gauges & maps.

FusionCharts works with all technologies like ASP, ASP.NET, PHP, ColdFusion, Ruby on Rails, JSP, HTML pages etc. and connects to any database to render animated & interactive charts. It takes less than 15 minutes and no expertise whatsoever to build your first chart and just a glance of it to captivate your audience. This fact is endorsed by our 12,000 customers and 150,000 users which include a majority of the Fortune 500 companies. And yeah, your applications could look like a million bucks by spending just $69.

So go ahead, download your copy of FusionCharts and start "wow-ing" your customers now!

WEB HOSTING
ASP.NET Shopping Cart
$15 Domain Name Registration Save $20 / year!
Buy UK Domain Names Register Domain Names
Cheap Domain Names Cheap Web Hosting
Best Web Hosting
PHP MySQL Hosting
Top 10 Web Hosting
UK Reseller Hosting
Web Hosting
FREE Web Hosting

WEB BUILDING
Website Templates Flash Templates Website Builder Internet Business Opportunity
Custom Programming
FREE Trial or Demo Web Content Manager Forms,Web Alerts,RSS
Download XML editor
FREE Flash Website
FREE Web Templates

EDUCATION
US Web Design Schools
HTML Certification
JavaScript Certification
XML Certification
PHP Certification
ASP Certification

HOME or Top of Page |  | Printer Friendly
W3Schools is for training only. We do not warrant the correctness of its content. The risk from using it lies entirely with the user. While using this site, you agree to have read and accepted our terms of use and privacy policy. Copyright 1999-2009 by Refsnes Data. All Rights Reserved.