Introduction

CSS pseudo-classes are powerful tools that allow you to style elements based on their state or position within the document. They add extra functionality to CSS selectors, enabling you to target specific elements without requiring additional HTML markup.

Here's a breakdown of some commonly used CSS pseudo-classes:

Link States

Style links based on their state (visited, hovered, active):

a:link { color: blue; }
  a:visited { color: purple; }
  a:hover { color: red; }
  a:active { color: yellow; }

Structural Pseudo-classes

Target elements based on their position in the document structure:

• :first-child: Selects the first child element of its parent.
• :last-child: Selects the last child element of its parent.
• :nth-child(n): Selects elements based on their position within the parent (e.g., :nth-child(2) selects the second child).
• :not(selector): Selects elements that do not match the specified selector.

User Interaction Pseudo-classes

Respond to user interactions:

• :focus: Selects the element that has keyboard focus.
• :hover: Selects the element when the mouse pointer hovers over it.
• :active: Selects the element when the user is interacting with it (e.g., clicking or dragging).

Dynamic Pseudo-classes

Target elements based on their dynamic state:

• :empty: Selects elements that have no child nodes.
• :checked: Selects checkboxes or radio buttons that are checked.

Summary

• CSS pseudo-classes are powerful selectors that allow you to style elements based on their state, position, or user interactions.
• They enhance the flexibility and functionality of your CSS stylesheets.
• Using pseudo-classes effectively can improve the user experience and add dynamic behavior to your web pages.