What is the correct CSS2 selector syntax to apply the :hover effect to the nth child of a specific element?

My goal is to apply a unique background color to each menu li element when hovered over, and I want to accomplish this using CSS2.

<ul>
    <li>
    <li>
    <li>
    <li>
</ul>

I managed to add a background color to the first element with the following code:

nav ul > li:hover:first-child a { background-color:red !important; }

When I attempt to apply a different background to the second element, the hover effect for the next element only triggers when hovering over the first element.

This is the code I have so far:

nav ul > li:hover:first-child a { background-color:red !important; }
nav ul > li:hover:first-child + li a { background-color:blue !important; }

Is there a correct way to achieve this using CSS2?

I'm hoping to gain insight from Boltclock's answer in the following link.

How do I get the nth child of an element using CSS2 selectors?

Any assistance on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

csscss-selectors

Answer №1

The nth child is indicated by the final element in the + sequence (preceding any combinator directly following it, if present), so you should apply the :hover selector to that element in this manner:

nav ul > li:hover:first-child a { background-color:red !important; }
nav ul > li:first-child + li:hover a { background-color:blue !important; }

To ensure clarity for the first child, you may rearrange the pseudo-classes, placing :hover at the end (i.e. after :first-child):

nav ul > li:first-child:hover a { background-color:red !important; }
nav ul > li:first-child + li:hover a { background-color:blue !important; }

Lastly, it is advised to refrain from using !important unless there is a specific necessity for its use.

Answer №2

The method described by @BoltClock is the only option to achieve this using CSS2 (as per your request) without having to define classes (although personally, I prefer defining classes for each list item as it makes maintenance and understanding easier in the future). If you are able to utilize CSS3, then nth-child is likely the solution you are seeking.

Your revised code snippet should appear like this:

nav ul > li:hover:first-child a { background-color:red; }
nav ul > li:first-child + li:hover a { background-color:blue; }
nav ul > li:first-child + li + li:hover a { background-color:green; }
nav ul > li:first-child + li + li + li:hover a { background-color:yellow; }

Answer №3

<ul>
  <li><a href="#">crimson</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">ocean blue</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">emerald green</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">sunny yellow</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">orchid magenta</a></li>
</ul>

li:first-child:hover a { background-color: crimson; }
li:nth-child(5):hover a { background-color: orchid magenta; }

Answer №4

Your HTML code is missing <a> tags, causing the CSS rules to style a link that doesn't exist. Try adding the following:

<ul>
  <li><a href="#">test 1</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">test 2</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">test 3</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">test 4</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">test 5</a></li>
</ul>

li:first-child:hover a { background-color: red; }
li:nth-child(2):hover a { background-color: blue; }

View the DEMO for reference.

Remember, only use !important when necessary to avoid issues with styles overriding each other.

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