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CSS nth Child

Updated on 19/07/20242,307 Views
Content

Introduction

Cascading Style Sheets, or CSS, is a core technology that is used to format and style the look of webpages. It is a language for creating stylesheets that interact with HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) to specify how components and material on a webpage should be displayed to viewers. In this tutorial, we will learn about the concept of CSS nth-child and its types through examples.

Overview

CSS nth child is an important concept to have in web development. This feature helps desired select items in a list. This helps with efficiency and writing clean code. This concept is a good stepping stone to learning CSS tricks to write efficient and reusable code. Read on to learn more about the concept of nth-child in CSS.

What is CSS nth-child?

Using the pseudo-class:nth-child() in CSS, you may choose and style items according to where they are with respect to their parent container. It belongs to a group of related pseudo-classes that offer various techniques to target particular pieces inside a parent container, including nth-of-type() and :nth-last-child().

There are different types of nth-child in CSS, we will discuss them here through some examples.

Odd and even

  • CSS nth-child (odd): In this type, only the odd children are targeted and the effects are active on them. We use the keyword “odd” to signify this type. Let us look at an example to understand this better.

Code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>:nth-child() Example</title>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>List of Items</h1>
  <ul>
    <li>Item 1</li>
    <li>Item 2</li>
    <li>Item 3</li>
    <li>Item 4</li>
  </ul>
  <style>
  ul {
  list-style: none;
  padding: 0;
  margin: 0;
}

li {
  padding: 8px;
  background-color: #f0f0f0;
}
li:nth-child(odd) {
  background-color:red;
}
</style>
</body>
</html>
  • CSS nth-child(even): In this type, the effects are applied only to even children. We use the keyword “even” inside the argument to signify this type. Let us look at an example to understand this concept better.

Code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>:nth-child() Example</title>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>List of Items</h1>
  <ul>
    <li>Item 1</li>
    <li>Item 2</li>
    <li>Item 3</li>
    <li>Item 4</li>
  </ul>
  <style>
  ul {
  list-style: none;
  padding: 0;
  margin: 0;
}

li {
  padding: 8px;
  background-color: #f0f0f0;
}
li:nth-child(even) {
  background-color: magenta;
}
</style>
</body>
</html>

Universal Query(an + b)

In this type, we can select the child as desired by configuring the variables a and b. Changing the variables a and b will result in different patterns and propagations. Let us look at this example to understand this concept thoroughly.

Code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>:nth-child() Example</title>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>List of Items</h1>
  <ul>
    <li>Item 1</li>
    <li>Item 2</li>
    <li>Item 3</li>
    <li>Item 4</li>
  </ul>
  <style>
  ul {
  list-style: none;
  padding: 0;
  margin: 0;
}

li {
  padding: 8px;
  background-color: #f0f0f0;
}
li:nth-child(3n + 0) {
  background-color: lightgreen;
}
</style>
</body>
</html>

In this example, the query selected through the :nth-child selector is 3n+0. This means every third child is selected through this function, for example, the third, 6th, 9th, and so on and so forth.

How to use CSS nth-child?

In CSS, you can target and style items based on where they are located within their parent container by using the :nth-child() selector. It is an effective tool that enables you to apply particular styles to elements that satisfy particular location requirements. The following is an example of how to use the :nth-child().

Code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>:nth-child() Example</title>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>List of Items</h1>
  <ul>
    <li>Item 1</li>
    <li>Item 2</li>
    <li>Item 3</li>
    <li>Item 4</li>
    <li>Item 5</li>
    <li>Item 6</li>
    <li>Item 7</li>
  </ul>
  <style>
  ul {
  list-style: none;
  padding: 0;
  margin: 0;
}

li {
  padding: 8px;
  background-color: #f0f0f0;
}

/* Style every second list item using :nth-child() */
li:nth-child(2n) {
  background-color: #b3e0ff;
}
</style>
</body>
</html>

In the above example, the query in :nth-child() is given as 2n. This means, the properties apply to every second child. As the output shows, every second child in the list is highlighted in the color blue.

Advantages

The following benefits of using the :nth-child() selector in CSS can help make your styling more adaptable, dynamic, and effective:

  • Focusing on particular components

You can quickly target and design particular items depending on their location within their parent container by using :nth-child(). This is especially helpful when you wish to apply several styles to specific items, such as changing the row colors in a table or arranging elements in a particular pattern.

  • Dynamic Styling

You can apply styles dynamically by using the :nth-child() selector, which eliminates the need to provide each element with a new class or ID. Particularly when working with lengthy lists or collections of components, this can decrease code redundancy and save time.

  • Automated Styling

Use nth-child() to style elements that fit a particular pattern or position rather than manually styling each element one by one. When you have a lot of elements and don't want to create bespoke styles for each one, this might be extremely useful.

  • Maintainability

Your CSS code will be easier to maintain if you use :nth-child(). Simply update the :nth-child() selector to update the styling for elements in a given location or pattern, and the updated styles will be immediately applied to the associated elements.

  • Responsive Design

Media queries can be used in conjunction with the :nth-child() selector to build responsive layouts. With no additional classes or JavaScript required, this enables you to modify the styles of items based on their placement within the parent container as the screen size changes.

  • Code Reduction

The amount of CSS code required to achieve specific styling effects can be decreased by using :nth-child(), leading to a simpler and more condensed stylesheet.

  • Complex layout patterns

When designing intricate grids or layout patterns where specific items must be styled differently depending on where they are in the layout, nth-child() is very useful.

Disadvantages

The :nth-child() selector in CSS has a number of benefits, but there are a few potential drawbacks and considerations to keep in mind as well. Here we have discussed some disadvantages of the function.

  • Browser support

Modern browsers generally support :nth-child(), although Internet Explorer versions 8 and earlier only partially support CSS3 selectors. If you need to support these outdated browsers, you might need to utilize JavaScript to do the same functionality.

  • Complexity

The complexity and amount of :nth-child() rules can grow, making it more difficult to interpret and maintain the CSS. Confusion can result from nesting multiple :nth-child() selects or mixing them with other selectors, which makes it more difficult to diagnose problems.

  • Sensitivity to markup changes

Based on the element's placement within its parent container, the :nth-child() selector is used. The targeting of elements may be affected if you add or delete elements from the markup or alter the container's structure, which could result in undesired style changes.

  • Specificity conflicts

Specificity conflicts may occur if :nth-child() selectors are used in conjunction with other selectors, such as classes or IDs. When multiple CSS rules target the same element, the rule with the highest level of specificity is given precedence. Complex selections could replace or obstruct the styles you intended.

  • Limited targeting flexibility

Even though :nth-child() is helpful for straightforward patterns and repetitive styling, it might not be sufficient in all circumstances when you require more precise control over element targeting. You might have to turn to alternative CSS selectors or JavaScript-based fixes in such circumstances.

  • Performance implications

Performance can be affected by the use of complex :nth-child() selectors, especially on pages with a lot of elements. When using highly specific or deeply nested :nth-child() rules, the browser may need additional processing power to determine the matching elements.

Conclusion

To sum up, the :nth-child() selector in CSS is a strong and flexible feature that enables you to target and style items based on their placement within their parent container. It has a number of benefits, including the ability to use dynamic styles, develop responsive layouts, and lessen code duplication. Applying alternate row colors to tables, designing intricate layouts, and decorating items in repetitive patterns are all jobs where it is quite helpful.

FAQs

  1. What is CSS nth-child range?

The range of the CSS nth-child depends on the query through which it is run. The range of the function can be configured as per the need like odd, even, everyday third child, etc.

  1. What is not(:nth-child())?

In CSS, :not(:nth-child()) is a function that selects all children in the list except the one mentioned in the query. For example, :not(:nth-child(3)) will select all the children except the third one.

  1. What is a :nth-child CSS trick that makes working in CSS easier?

In CSS, we can use :nth-child(an+b) to create circulating patterns without having to select the elements individually.

  1. What can be used to select multiple nth-child in CSS?

The :nth-child() selector can be used to select multiple children in a list or array by using the desired query.

Pavan

PAVAN VADAPALLI

Director of Engineering

Director of Engineering @ upGrad. Motivated to leverage technology to solve problems. Seasoned leader for startups and fast moving orgs. Working …Read More

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