When and Why Would You Use the Starred CSS Property Hack?

Starred CSS Properties: A Forgotten Technique

In the realm of CSS, there exists a relic of the past—the infamous "star property hack." Amidst the current landscape of modern web technologies, it may seem like an anachronism, yet there remains a time and place where this technique proves its worth.

As you've observed in the provided code snippet, the asterisk (*) precedes certain property declarations within a style rule for a div element with the class name "with-some-class." This syntax may initially seem enigmatic, but it serves a specific purpose, bridging the gap between the capabilities of different web browsers.

Known as the "star property hack," this technique was employed in the early days of CSS when web developers sought to overcome browser inconsistencies. By prefixing a property with an asterisk, they could selectively apply that property to a particular browser, typically Internet Explorer.

In the code you've presented, the padding and line-height properties are affected by the star hack. The intended behavior is for the padding to be set to "1px 0 0 0" and the line-height to "13px" when rendered in Internet Explorer. However, other browsers will ignore the prefixed versions of these properties, adhering to the values specified without the asterisk.

It's worth noting that the star property hack has become obsolete with the advent of more standardized CSS practices. Browser support for older versions of Internet Explorer has dwindled, and there are now more robust and reliable ways to target specific browsers or devices.

Despite its outdated nature, the star property hack remains a testament to the ingenuity of web developers who were determined to overcome the limitations of their time. While it may no longer be a widely used technique, it serves as a reminder of the evolution of web development and the unwavering pursuit of cross-browser compatibility.

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