Can you use CSS to target a parent div based on the elements it contains?

If I have the following HTML:

<div class='row'>

  <div class='cell'> 
    <span class='image'> </span>
    Image Cell
  </div>

  <div class='cell'>
     Regular Cell
  </div>

</div>

Can I uniquely select the div that contains the span element, as opposed to the div cell that does not have the span element as its first child? This needs to be done without using JavaScript.

Answer №1

If you're in search of a CSS feature like the elusive :has pseudoclass / :parent pseudoclass / < combinator that has yet to be implemented, you're out of luck for now. It seems that the idea has been discussed multiple times but always met with concerns about performance in existing browser engines. You might enjoy reading this brief article that delves into the topic.

Answer №2

To enhance the HTML, consider adding a new CSS class to the div containing the span element. This way, you can utilize it as a specific "selector" for styling.

 <div class='box haschild'> 
   <span class='icon'> </span>
   Icon Box
 </div>

 <div class='box'>
    Regular Box
 </div>

Answer №3

It's a common misconception that using a "parent" selector in CSS can cause issues and slow down performance. I once read a post on a tech forum where an experienced developer explained how this type of selector can actually lead to more efficient styling techniques. It's all about understanding the best practices and how styles are rendered in a browser environment.

Answer №4

It is not achievable using pure CSS. Unfortunately, there are no selectors for targeting parent or ancestor elements. Even the :has selector is not available, and there are no plans to introduce a subject indicator in the future.

However, do not fret! Achieving this functionality is relatively straightforward with JavaScript:

Array.prototype.forEach.call(document.querySelectorAll(".cell"), function (el) {
    if (el.querySelector("span")) {
        // Element found!
    }
});

For a working example, check out http://jsfiddle.net/epwUS/

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