Style Sheets Guide
=Pseudo Document Structures=

= Index DOT Html by Brian Wilson [bloo@blooberry.com] =

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Pseudo Structures are logical abstractions of HTML formatting that can be used as Selectors in Style Sheet syntax. These abstractions, which can be divided into two categories , Pseudo-Classes and Pseudo-Elements, do not exist as actual HTML tags. Their behavior is defined by a "fictional tag sequence" where they have well defined HTML behavior. Pseudo structures are addressed in Selectors by attaching them to existing HTML tags with a colon (':') character.

Pseudo-Classes
[ IE3B1 | N4B5 ]
This class type allows a Selector to specify style information for different behavioral states of existing HTML tags. Currently, the only HTML tag with well-defined state behavior is the Hyperlink tag (A HREF.) All Selector grouping shorthand syntaxes can be applied to Pseudo-Classes.
A HREF [ IE3B1 | N4B5 ]
States:
    'link'      [ IE3B1 | N4B5 ]: General state of a hyperlink before it has been activated.
    'visited' [ IE3B1 | N4B5 ]: State of a hyperlink after it has been activated.
    'active'  [ IE4B1 | N ]: State of a hyperlink during which it is currently activated.
HTML Equivalent: <body LINK VLINK ALINK>
Examples:
    Modifying a plain tag: a:active { color: red }
    Combining with a normal class: a.test:visited { color: red }
    Within a Contextual Selector: a:link img { border: solid green }


Pseudo-Elements
[ IE | N ]
This type of element represents a logical typographical structure that is not defined within HTML. These elements address "virtual" components of existing HTML structures (Block Elements.) No popular browsers support this feature yet.
Pseudo
Element

Support
Applies To
Example
Description
first-letter IE | N Block
Elements
div:first-letter
{ font-size: xx-large }
This is used to apply styles to the first LETTER of an HTML Block Structure. The browser will decide which characters are inside this Pseudo-Element.
first-line IE | N Block
Elements
p:first-line
{ margin-left: 0.5in }
This is used to apply styles to the first LINE of an HTML Block Structure on an output device (A browser screen, printer, etc.)


Pseudo Element Exceptions to
Selector Grouping Syntaxes:


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