How Can I Correctly Style the First and Last Child Elements Using CSS?

Selecting First and Last Child Elements Using CSS

Selecting specific child elements on a web page can be achieved using CSS pseudo-classes. However, potential challenges arise when attempting to select the first or last child.

A common pitfall is to define styles directly on the child elements without consideration for their parent container. Take the following example:

.area {
  height: 100px;
  width: 100px;
}

.area:first-child {
  background-color: red;
}

.area:last-child {
  background-color: green;
}

<div class="area">1</div>
<div class="area">2</div>
<div class="area">3</div>
<div class="area">4</div>

In this scenario, the CSS will not apply the desired styles to the first and last child elements because they are not direct children of the parent with the area class. To rectify this issue, you need to wrap the child elements within another parent element:

.container {
  . . .
}

.area:first-child {
  background-color: red;
}

.area:last-child {
  background-color: green;
}

<div class="container">
  <div class="area">1</div>
  <div class="area">2</div>
  <div class="area">3</div>
  <div class="area">4</div>
</div>

This modification ensures that the CSS rules apply to the first and last child elements within the container element. By wrapping the elements within a parent container, you define a specific context for the target child elements, allowing you to accurately style them based on their position within that container.

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