Home >Web Front-end >CSS Tutorial >CSS Selectors: What's the Difference Between `>` and Space in Targeting Elements?

CSS Selectors: What's the Difference Between `>` and Space in Targeting Elements?

Susan SarandonOriginal: 2024-12-05 22:48:12902browse

CSS Selectors: What's the Difference Between `>` and Space in Targeting Elements? ` and Space in Targeting Elements? " />

Understanding the Subtlety of '>' vs. Spaces in CSS Selectors

In CSS, when targeting specific elements within a document, you may encounter two notations: '>' and spaces. While they may seem similar at first glance, there lies a crucial distinction in their usage.

The Distinction: Direct Children vs. Descendants

The greater-than sign (>) in CSS selectors denotes a direct child-to-parent relationship. In the syntax div.card > div.name, it specifies that you only want to select

elements that are immediate children of

elements.

On the other hand, a space ( ) in a CSS selector indicates a descendant relationship. When you write div.card div.name, it instructs the browser to select any

elements that are nested within

elements, regardless of their immediate parent.

Examples for Clarification:

Consider the following HTML structure:


    John
    Lorem ipsum
    Jane

Using div.card > div.name will select:
 and 
However, using div.card div.name will also select:



 (Inside the 
 element)

Practical Implications:
Understanding this distinction is crucial for targeting specific elements with precision. For instance, if you want to style only the immediate children of a container element, use div.card > div.name. Conversely, if you need to style all elements with a certain class within a container, even if they're nested, use div.card div.name.
The above is the detailed content of CSS Selectors: What's the Difference Between `>` and Space in Targeting Elements?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

css html if for while select using class this Other

Statement：

The content of this article is voluntarily contributed by netizens, and the copyright belongs to the original author. This site does not assume corresponding legal responsibility. If you find any content suspected of plagiarism or infringement, please contact admin@php.cn

Previous article：Does Flexbox Override the Float Property?Next article：Does Flexbox Override the Float Property?

See more

CSS Selectors: What's the Difference Between `>` and Space in Targeting Elements?

Related articles