Determining the best times to utilize pseudo-classes versus pseudo-elements selectors in CSS

I am struggling to grasp the distinction between using a pseudo-class selector such as :before or :first-child, and when it is more appropriate to use a pseudo-element selector like ::before.

Answer №1

The previous single colon syntax is an outdated method. There are distinct differences between pseudo-elements written with :: and pseudo-classes using :. Despite this, web browsers continue to support the old single-colon syntax.

In practical terms, whether you use :before or ::before in your code example will not affect the end result. However, it is recommended to follow the modern convention of using double colons for pseudo-elements like before & after, as they are not pseudo-classes.

For further information, check out this guide on MDN: more on MDN.

Answer №2

The ::before pseudo-element is used to insert content before the selected element(s) in CSS.

You can define the content to be inserted using the content property.

/* Modern CSS3 syntax */
::before

/* Older CSS2 syntax */
:before

For further information, check out this resource.

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