Can CSS Target nth-child Elements Across Multiple Parents?

Targeting nth-child Across Multiple Parents in CSS: An Unsolved Enigma

In the realm of CSS, the ability to select specific child elements within a parent has long been a staple for web designers. However, when it comes to targeting nth-child elements across multiple parents, the path becomes laden with complexities.

Consider the following scenario: you have a div.foo container with multiple ul elements, each containing a set of li items. You wish to apply styling specifically to the first and third li elements across all uls within div.foo.

At first glance, the following CSS might seem like a straightforward solution:

.foo li:nth-child(1),
.foo li:nth-child(3)
{
    color:red;
}

However, this approach falls short due to the inherent limitation of CSS's :nth-child() selector. It can only target child elements within the same immediate parent. Thus, the above CSS will only style the first child of each ul, resulting in the following undesirable outcome: http://jsfiddle.net/hTfVu/

To achieve the desired result, CSS selectors alone cannot suffice. JavaScript libraries such as jQuery provide a convenient solution:

$('.foo li:eq(0), .foo li:eq(2)')

This code selects the first and third li elements within each ul contained in div.foo.

Alternatively, you can explicitly mark the first and third li elements using classes or IDs and then target them via CSS accordingly. However, this approach requires a modification to the HTML structure, which may not always be feasible.

In conclusion, targeting nth-child elements across multiple parents remains an unsolved enigma within CSS's native capabilities. Yet, by embracing JavaScript libraries or employing explicit HTML markup, these limitations can be overcome, enabling precise and nuanced styling across complex document structures.

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