How Can I Apply Hover Effects to CSS Pseudo-elements?

CSS: Applying Hover Conditions to Pseudo-Elements

The Issue:

Users may encounter difficulties when attempting to apply hover conditions to pseudo-elements. For instance, :hover applied to :before may not produce the desired effect.

Understanding Selector Order:

When writing CSS selectors, it's crucial to observe the correct order. According to the spec, a pseudo-element must be appended to the end of a sequence of simple selectors. A simple selector can be a type, universal, attribute, class, ID, or pseudo-class.

Appropriate Syntax:

To correctly apply styles to a pseudo-element when the associated element matches a pseudo-class, follow this syntax:

• For CSS3: a:hover::before
• For legacy browsers: a:hover:before

Hover on Pseudo-Element vs. Element:

If the hover effect is intended solely for the pseudo-element's interaction, CSS does not currently provide a straightforward solution. In such cases, it may be necessary to apply the hover condition to an actual child element instead.

Special Case: Link Pseudo-Classes

Link pseudo-classes like :visited behave differently because pseudo-elements are not themselves links. Thus, applying :visited to :before will have the expected effect.

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