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CSS element > element Selector

Posted in CSS Tutorial
Updated on Oct 27, 2024
By Mari Selvan
👁️ 16 - Views
⏳ 4 mins
💬 1 Comment
CSS element>element Selector

Photo Credit to CodeToFun

🙋 Introduction

The element > element selector in CSS is a child combinator that selects direct children of a specified element.

This selector allows for precise targeting of elements within a hierarchy, enabling more specific styling without affecting deeper nested elements.

💡 Syntax

The signature of the element > element Selector is as follows:

Syntax
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parent > child {
    /* CSS properties */
}

In this syntax, parent is the element you want to target, and child is the direct child element that you want to style.

📝 Example

Here is an example of how to use the element > element selector in CSS:

☠️ HTML

HTML
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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>CSS element > element Selector Example</title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">
</head>
<body>
    <div class="container">
        <h1>Main Title</h1>
        <div class="content">
            <p>This is a paragraph within a nested div.</p>
            <div class="inner">
                <p>This is a nested paragraph.</p>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

🎨 CSS

CSS
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/* Style for direct child elements of .container */
.container > h1 {
  color: blue;
  font-size: 24px;
}

.container > .content {
  background-color: #f0f8ff;
  padding: 10px;
}

/* This will not apply to nested paragraphs */
.content > p {
  color: green;
}

In this example:

  • The <h1> element directly within the .container will be styled with a blue color and a font size of 24 pixels.
  • The .content div, being a direct child of .container, receives a light blue background.
  • The paragraph inside .content is styled green, but the nested paragraph inside .inner remains unaffected.

💬 Usage Tips

  • Use the child combinator to apply styles only to direct children, preventing unintended styles from cascading to deeper nested elements.
  • Combine this selector with other selectors for more complex styling scenarios. For instance, you can target specific child elements based on their type or class.

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

  • Remember that the child combinator > only selects direct children, so styles won't apply to elements that are further nested.
  • Ensure that the specified parent and child elements are correctly defined; otherwise, the selector won't match any elements.

🎉 Conclusion

The element > element selector is an essential tool in CSS for managing element styles within a hierarchy.

By utilizing this selector, you can ensure that your styles are applied precisely where intended, leading to cleaner and more maintainable code. Mastering the use of child combinators contributes to a well-structured CSS design.

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Author

author
👋 Hey, I'm Mari Selvan

For over eight years, I worked as a full-stack web developer. Now, I have chosen my profession as a full-time blogger at codetofun.com.

Buy me a coffee to make codetofun.com free for everyone.

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