HTML & CSS · Junior · Question 34 of 75
How does a pseudo-class differ from a pseudo-element?
- 1Pseudo-classes use
::and pseudo-elements use:; otherwise they're the same - 2Pseudo-elements are classes that JavaScript adds to an element at runtime
- ✓Correct answer: A pseudo-class is an element's state (
:hover), a pseudo-element is a virtual part (::before)
Explanation
A pseudo-class selects an existing element in a particular state or position. A pseudo-element creates or targets a part of an element that isn't a separate DOM node. Per CSS3, pseudo-elements use two colons (::before) and pseudo-classes one; a single colon on legacy pseudo-elements is still supported for compatibility.