CSS Syntax and Property Reference - HTML and CSS: The Complete Reference - page 536

Selector Description Example Defined In

Selects the elements
that are the default
among a set of similar
elements

CSS3

:default :default {background-color: red;}

/* sets the background color of a
default button like a submit to
red */

:disabled Selects the elements

that are currently
disabled

input:disabled {background-color:
gray;}
/* sets the background color to
gray on disabled input elements */

CSS3

Selects an element
that has no children

CSS3

:empty div:empty {display: none;}

/* hides the div if it has no
children */

Selects the elements
that are currently
enabled

CSS3

:enabled input:enabled {background-color:

white;}
/* sets the background color to
white on enabled input elements */

:first-child Selects the element

only if the element is
the first child of its
parent

p:first-child { color: red;}
/* sets the font color to red for
all of the p tags that are the
first child of their parent */

CSS2

Selects the first letter
of an element

CSS1

:first-letter p:first-letter {font-size: larger;}

/* makes the first letter of a
paragraph larger */

Same as :first-
letter ; changed
under CSS3 to make
pseudo-elements
obvious

CSS3

::first-letter p::first-letter {font-size:

larger;}
/* makes the first letter of a
paragraph larger */

Selects the first line of
an element

CSS1

:first-line p:first-line {color: red;}

/* makes the first lines
of paragraph red */

::first-line Same as :first-

line ; changed under
CSS3 to make pseudo-
elements obvious

p::first-line {color: red;}
/* makes the first lines
of paragraph red */

CSS3

Selects the element
that is the first child
of its parent that is of
its type

CSS3

:first-of-type strong:first-of-type {font-size:

bigger;}
/* sets the font size bigger on the
first strong tag of its parent */

T ABLE 5-5 CSS Selectors