Why Can't I Use `:nth-child` and `:before` in IE8?

IE8 :nth-child and :before Compatibility Issue

Internet Explorer 8 presents challenges when working with CSS selectors such as :nth-child and :before. While these selectors function effectively in most other browsers, IE8 encounters compatibility issues.

The Question

In an attempt to target specific navigation links in CSS, a developer encountered a problem with :nth-child and :before in IE8. While setting properties for the :nth-child(1) selector applied to a specific link, the same properties failed to work when applied to the :after pseudo-element.

The Answer

While :nth-child is not directly supported in IE8, there is a workaround involving the adjacent sibling combinator ( ). By utilizing this method, you can target specific items in a list:

• li:first-child is equivalent to :nth-child(1)
• li:first-child li is equivalent to :nth-child(2)
• li:first-child li li is equivalent to :nth-child(3)

Limitations

While this workaround replicates basic :nth-child functionality, it has its limitations. Emulating more complex variants (e.g., :nth-child(odd) or :nth-child(4n 3)) is not possible with this method.

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