Why Does My CSS `:not()` Selector Fail, and How Can I Fix It?

Why :not() Selector Fails in CSS

Despite jQuery's :not() selector claiming CSS3 compliance, it differs significantly from the standard :not() selector in CSS.

jQuery Extension

While the standard :not() only accepts a single simple selector as an argument, jQuery allows any arbitrary selector, including lists of comma-separated selectors.

CSS Limitations

In contrast, the standard :not() has strict limitations:

• Cannot pass comma-separated selectors
• Cannot combine simple selectors into compound selectors
• Cannot use combinators (e.g., spacing)

Cause of Failure

In the given scenario, the CSS modification attempted to replicate jQuery's :not() behavior, which is not valid CSS due to the following reasons:

• Dividing by comma (e.g., :not(.alpha, .beta, .gamma)) is not permitted.
• Passing compound selectors (e.g., body > div) is invalid within :not().

Pure CSS Workaround

To achieve the desired result in pure CSS, it's necessary to chain multiple :not() selectors:

#sectors > div:not(.alpha):not(.beta):not(.gamma)

However, this approach is more error-prone and inconsistent than jQuery's extended :not() syntax.

Future Developments

Selectors 4 enhances :not() to accept a comma-separated list of complex selectors, which will align it with jQuery and make it more versatile in the future.

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