CSS :after :hover Selectors

In this article, we’ll introduce the :after and :hover selectors in CSS. These two selectors are frequently used in web design and can create some interesting effects and interactivity.

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CSS :after Selector

:after selector is used to insert a pseudo-element after an element’s content and set styles for that pseudo-element. Using this selector, we can create additional elements with CSS and insert them at the end of an existing element’s content.

Example

Below is an example demonstrating how to use the :after selector to insert a five-pointed star after a paragraph.

p:after {
content: "";
display: inline-block;
width: 0;
height: 0;
border-left: 5px solid transparent;
border-right: 5px solid transparent;
border-bottom: 10px solid gold;
vertical-align: middle;
} 

In the example above, we first create a pseudo-element with empty content using content: "". Then, we make it an inline-block element using display: inline-block, enabling it to be inserted after a paragraph. Next, we use the border property to create a five-pointed star shape and set its color to gold. Finally, we vertically center it using vertical-align: middle.

CSS :hover Selector

The :hover selector is used to apply styles when the user hovers over an element. This selector is often used to add interactive effects, such as changing an element’s color or revealing hidden content.

Example

The following example demonstrates how to use the :hover selector to change the background color of a button when the mouse hovers over it.

button:hover {
background-color: coral;
color: white;
}

In the example above, we use the :hover selector to set the button’s background color to coral and its text color to white. When the user hovers over the button, the button’s style changes.

Combining the CSS :after and :hover Selectors

In addition to using the :after and :hover selectors individually, we can combine them to create more complex effects. Here’s an example showing how to draw a shadow around a button when the mouse hovers over it.

button:hover:after { 
content: ""; 
position: absolute; 
width: 100%; 
height: 100%;
top: -5px;
left: -5px;
box-shadow: 0 0 10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
}

In the example above, we create a pseudo-element inside a button by combining the :hover and :after selectors. We position the pseudo-element absolutely using position: absolute and position it a certain distance above and to the left of the button using the top and left properties. We then add a shadow to the pseudo-element using the box-shadow property. When the user hovers over the button, a shadow appears around it.

Summary

In this article, we introduced the :after and :hover selectors in CSS and demonstrated their usage. The :after selector allows us to insert additional elements after an element’s content, creating special effects. The :hover selector allows us to apply styles when the user hovers over an element, creating interactive effects. By combining these two selectors, we can achieve even richer effects.

We hope this article has helped you understand the :after and :hover selectors in CSS!