Can CSS Target Elements with Any Attribute Value?

CSS Attribute Value Targeting Made Simple

In the realm of styling web pages, CSS attributes play a pivotal role in defining the appearance and behavior of HTML elements. While we often encounter situations where we need to target elements with specific attribute values, what if we need to apply styles to elements with any attribute set, regardless of its value?

Can CSS target elements with attributes of any value?

Let's dive into the question, which asks if it's possible to select elements with attributes of any value. Imagine the following HTML code:

<a href="#" rel="eg">red text</a>
<a href="#">standard text</a>
<a href="#" rel="more">red text again</a>

The goal is to target the first and third tags with red text using CSS. Intuitively, we might try:

a[rel=*]
{
  color: red;
}

However, this selector won't work. Fortunately, we have an alternative solution.

The Universal Attribute Selector

The CSS universal attribute selector, denoted by a single square bracket ([ ]), matches any element with the specified attribute set, regardless of its value. For our purpose, we can use:

a[rel]
{
  color: red;
}

This selector will successfully target all the tags with a rel attribute, applying the red color to the desired text.

Handling Empty Attribute Values

In some cases, we may need to differentiate between empty and non-empty attribute values. Here's where the :not() pseudo-class comes in handy. With :not(), we can exclude elements with empty attribute values, leading to more precise targeting.

a[rel]:not([rel=""])
{
  color: red;
}

This enhanced selector ensures that only those tags with non-empty rel attributes will be affected by our style changes.

So, there you have it. CSS universal attribute selection allows you to effortlessly target elements with any attribute defined, making your styles more versatile and adaptable.

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