:focus vs :active: When Should You Use Each One?

:focus vs :active: Unraveling the Differences

Pseudo-classes play a pivotal role in CSS styling, enabling you to apply styles to elements based on their state or interaction with users. Two commonly used pseudo-classes are :focus and :active, which often lead to confusion due to their overlapping functionality.

Understanding :focus

The :focus pseudo-class represents an element that has received the focus, usually through keyboard navigation or clicking. When an element has focus, it indicates that it is ready to receive user input, such as typing or interaction.

Understanding :active

The :active pseudo-class represents an element that is currently being activated by the user. This can occur through actions like clicking, pressing keys, or dragging. The :active state typically signifies that the element is being interacted with, and the styling often reflects an action or visual enhancement.

Key Differences

While :focus and :active may seem similar, there are key differences:

• Timing: :focus is applied when an element receives focus, while :active is applied during the active interaction.
• Purpose: :focus indicates an element ready for input, while :active signifies an element being used.
• Typically used together: Clicking an element usually results in both :focus and :active states being applied.

An Illustrative Example

Consider the following code:

button {
  font-weight: normal;
  color: black;
}
button:focus {
  color: red;
}
button:active {
  font-weight: bold;
}

With this styling, a initially appears with black text and normal weight. When it receives focus through tabbing, the text turns red. However, when the button is clicked (activating it), the text remains red and the weight becomes bold.

This example demonstrates how :focus and :active can be used independently or in combination to style elements during different states. Understanding their differences allows you to create precise and intuitive stylesheets that enhance the user experience.

The above is the detailed content of :focus vs :active: When Should You Use Each One?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!