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CSS 伪元素:创造虚拟元素的魔法

伪元素的本质

伪元素(Pseudo-element)是 CSS 中一种特殊的选择器,它能够让你在不修改 HTML 结构的情况下,向文档中插入"虚拟"的元素或选择元素的特定部分进行样式化。

伪元素使用双冒号 :: 语法(CSS3 规范,但 : 单冒号语法仍然有效以保持向后兼容)。可以把伪元素想象成"CSS 创造的幽灵元素"——它们存在于渲染结果中,但不存在于 HTML 代码中。

css
/* 现代语法(推荐) */
selector::pseudo-element {
  property: value;
}

/* 传统语法(向后兼容) */
selector:pseudo-element {
  property: value;
}

伪元素与伪类的区别

  • 伪类(:hover, :focus)选择元素的特定状态
  • 伪元素(::before, ::after)创建或选择元素的特定部分

::before 和 ::after

::before::after 是最常用的伪元素,它们在元素内容的前后插入生成的内容。

基本语法

css
.element::before {
  content: ""; /* content 属性是必需的 */
  /* 其他样式 */
}

.element::after {
  content: "";
  /* 其他样式 */
}

重要规则

  • content 属性是必需的,即使是空字符串
  • 伪元素默认是行内元素,通常需要设置 display 属性
  • 伪元素不在 DOM 中,不能被 JavaScript 直接访问
  • 伪元素不能应用于替换元素(如 <img>, <input>

装饰性图标

css
/* 添加图标 */
.tip::before {
  content: "💡";
  margin-right: 8px;
}

.warning::before {
  content: "⚠️";
  margin-right: 8px;
}

.success::after {
  content: "✓";
  margin-left: 8px;
  color: #27ae60;
}

/* 使用 Unicode */
.external-link::after {
  content: "\2197"; /* ↗ */
  font-size: 0.8em;
  margin-left: 4px;
}

/* 使用图片 */
.pdf-link::before {
  content: "";
  display: inline-block;
  width: 16px;
  height: 16px;
  background: url("pdf-icon.svg") no-repeat center;
  background-size: contain;
  margin-right: 6px;
  vertical-align: middle;
}

引用符号

css
/* 自动添加引号 */
blockquote::before {
  content: open-quote;
  font-size: 3em;
  color: #3498db;
  line-height: 0;
  margin-right: 10px;
  vertical-align: -0.4em;
}

blockquote::after {
  content: close-quote;
  font-size: 3em;
  color: #3498db;
  line-height: 0;
  margin-left: 10px;
  vertical-align: -0.4em;
}

blockquote {
  quotes: "" " " "" "'" "'"; /* 定义引号样式 */
  font-style: italic;
  padding: 20px;
}

装饰性形状

css
/* 丝带效果 */
.ribbon {
  position: relative;
  background-color: #3498db;
  color: white;
  padding: 10px 20px;
  display: inline-block;
}

.ribbon::before,
.ribbon::after {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  width: 0;
  height: 0;
  border-style: solid;
}

.ribbon::before {
  left: -20px;
  border-width: 20px 20px 20px 0;
  border-color: transparent #3498db transparent transparent;
}

.ribbon::after {
  right: -20px;
  border-width: 20px 0 20px 20px;
  border-color: transparent transparent transparent #3498db;
}

/* 标签角标 */
.tag {
  position: relative;
  background-color: #e74c3c;
  color: white;
  padding: 5px 10px;
  margin-right: 15px;
}

.tag::after {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  right: -15px;
  top: 0;
  width: 0;
  height: 0;
  border-top: 15px solid #e74c3c;
  border-right: 15px solid transparent;
  border-bottom: 15px solid #e74c3c;
}

计数器

css
/* 自动编号 */
body {
  counter-reset: section;
}

h2::before {
  counter-increment: section;
  content: "Section " counter(section) ": ";
  color: #3498db;
  font-weight: bold;
}

/* 嵌套计数器 */
.chapter {
  counter-reset: subsection;
}

.chapter h2::before {
  counter-increment: section;
  content: counter(section) ". ";
}

.chapter h3::before {
  counter-increment: subsection;
  content: counter(section) "." counter(subsection) " ";
}

/* 列表样式 */
ol {
  counter-reset: custom-counter;
  list-style: none;
}

ol li::before {
  counter-increment: custom-counter;
  content: counter(custom-counter) ". ";
  color: #3498db;
  font-weight: bold;
  margin-right: 8px;
}

属性值显示

css
/* 显示链接的 URL */
a[href]::after {
  content: " (" attr(href) ")";
  font-size: 0.8em;
  color: #777;
}

/* 打印样式中显示缩写全称 */
@media print {
  abbr[title]::after {
    content: " (" attr(title) ")";
    font-style: italic;
  }
}

/* 显示图片的 alt 文本 */
img::after {
  content: attr(alt);
  display: block;
  text-align: center;
  font-size: 0.9em;
  color: #666;
  margin-top: 5px;
}

::first-letter - 首字母

选择块级元素的第一个字母,常用于创建首字下沉效果:

css
/* 经典首字下沉 */
p::first-letter {
  font-size: 3em;
  font-weight: bold;
  float: left;
  line-height: 1;
  margin: 0 10px 0 0;
  color: #e74c3c;
}

/* 装饰性首字母 */
article p:first-of-type::first-letter {
  font-size: 4em;
  font-family: "Georgia", serif;
  color: #3498db;
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%);
  -webkit-background-clip: text;
  -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;
  float: left;
  padding: 10px;
  margin-right: 10px;
}

/* 带边框的首字母 */
.chapter::first-letter {
  font-size: 2.5em;
  font-weight: bold;
  color: white;
  background-color: #2c3e50;
  padding: 10px 15px;
  margin-right: 10px;
  float: left;
  border-radius: 4px;
}

::first-line - 首行

选择块级元素的第一行文本:

css
/* 首行突出显示 */
p::first-line {
  font-weight: bold;
  color: #2c3e50;
  font-size: 1.1em;
}

/* 新闻文章样式 */
article p:first-of-type::first-line {
  text-transform: uppercase;
  letter-spacing: 2px;
  font-weight: 600;
}

/* 组合使用 */
.intro::first-line {
  font-variant: small-caps;
  color: #3498db;
}

.intro::first-letter {
  font-size: 2em;
  color: #e74c3c;
}

::selection - 文本选择

自定义用户选中文本时的样式:

css
/* 全局选择样式 */
::selection {
  background-color: #3498db;
  color: white;
}

/* 特定元素的选择样式 */
code::selection {
  background-color: #2c3e50;
  color: #f39c12;
}

.highlight::selection {
  background-color: #f39c12;
  color: #2c3e50;
}

/* Firefox 兼容 */
::-moz-selection {
  background-color: #3498db;
  color: white;
}

::placeholder - 占位符

自定义表单输入框占位符的样式:

css
/* 基础占位符样式 */
input::placeholder {
  color: #95a5a6;
  font-style: italic;
  opacity: 1;
}

textarea::placeholder {
  color: #bdc3c7;
  font-size: 0.9em;
}

/* 聚焦时占位符变化 */
input:focus::placeholder {
  color: transparent;
}

/* 不同浏览器前缀 */
input::-webkit-input-placeholder {
  color: #95a5a6;
}

input::-moz-placeholder {
  color: #95a5a6;
  opacity: 1;
}

input:-ms-input-placeholder {
  color: #95a5a6;
}

实战应用

清除浮动

css
.clearfix::after {
  content: "";
  display: table;
  clear: both;
}

加载动画

css
.loading::after {
  content: "";
  display: inline-block;
  width: 20px;
  height: 20px;
  border: 3px solid #f3f3f3;
  border-top: 3px solid #3498db;
  border-radius: 50%;
  animation: spin 1s linear infinite;
  margin-left: 10px;
  vertical-align: middle;
}

@keyframes spin {
  0% {
    transform: rotate(0deg);
  }
  100% {
    transform: rotate(360deg);
  }
}

工具提示

css
.tooltip {
  position: relative;
  cursor: help;
}

.tooltip::before {
  content: attr(data-tooltip);
  position: absolute;
  bottom: 100%;
  left: 50%;
  transform: translateX(-50%);
  background-color: #2c3e50;
  color: white;
  padding: 8px 12px;
  border-radius: 4px;
  white-space: nowrap;
  opacity: 0;
  pointer-events: none;
  transition: opacity 0.3s;
  margin-bottom: 8px;
}

.tooltip::after {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  bottom: 100%;
  left: 50%;
  transform: translateX(-50%);
  border: 6px solid transparent;
  border-top-color: #2c3e50;
  opacity: 0;
  pointer-events: none;
  transition: opacity 0.3s;
  margin-bottom: 2px;
}

.tooltip:hover::before,
.tooltip:hover::after {
  opacity: 1;
}

面包屑导航

css
.breadcrumb {
  list-style: none;
  display: flex;
  padding: 0;
}

.breadcrumb li {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
}

.breadcrumb li:not(:last-child)::after {
  content: "›";
  margin: 0 10px;
  color: #95a5a6;
  font-size: 1.2em;
}

.breadcrumb li:last-child {
  color: #3498db;
  font-weight: bold;
}

进度条

css
.progress {
  width: 100%;
  height: 30px;
  background-color: #ecf0f1;
  border-radius: 15px;
  overflow: hidden;
  position: relative;
}

.progress::before {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  height: 100%;
  width: var(--progress, 0%);
  background: linear-gradient(90deg, #3498db, #2ecc71);
  border-radius: 15px;
  transition: width 0.3s ease;
}

.progress::after {
  content: attr(data-label);
  position: absolute;
  top: 50%;
  left: 50%;
  transform: translate(-50%, -50%);
  color: #2c3e50;
  font-weight: bold;
  z-index: 1;
}

卡片装饰

css
.card {
  position: relative;
  background: white;
  border-radius: 8px;
  padding: 20px;
  box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
  overflow: hidden;
}

/* 顶部装饰条 */
.card::before {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  right: 0;
  height: 4px;
  background: linear-gradient(90deg, #667eea, #764ba2);
}

/* 角标 */
.card::after {
  content: "NEW";
  position: absolute;
  top: 20px;
  right: -30px;
  background-color: #e74c3c;
  color: white;
  padding: 5px 40px;
  transform: rotate(45deg);
  font-size: 0.8em;
  font-weight: bold;
  box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
}

按钮悬停效果

css
.button {
  position: relative;
  padding: 12px 24px;
  background-color: #3498db;
  color: white;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 4px;
  overflow: hidden;
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: color 0.3s;
}

.button::before {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  left: -100%;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  background-color: #2980b9;
  transition: left 0.3s;
  z-index: -1;
}

.button:hover::before {
  left: 0;
}

.button:hover {
  color: white;
}

分隔线

css
.section-title {
  text-align: center;
  position: relative;
  margin: 40px 0;
}

.section-title::before,
.section-title::after {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  top: 50%;
  width: 40%;
  height: 1px;
  background-color: #ddd;
}

.section-title::before {
  left: 0;
}

.section-title::after {
  right: 0;
}

/* 装饰性分隔线 */
.divider {
  text-align: center;
  margin: 30px 0;
  position: relative;
}

.divider::before {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  left: 0;
  top: 50%;
  width: 100%;
  height: 1px;
  background: linear-gradient(90deg, transparent, #3498db, transparent);
}

.divider::after {
  content: "✦";
  position: relative;
  display: inline-block;
  padding: 0 20px;
  background-color: white;
  color: #3498db;
  font-size: 20px;
}

最佳实践

  1. 始终包含 content 属性:即使是空字符串也要写上 content: ""
  2. 注意 z-index:伪元素可能会遮挡其他内容
  3. 性能考虑:过度使用伪元素可能影响渲染性能
  4. 语义清晰:装饰性内容用伪元素,实质内容用 HTML
  5. 可访问性:伪元素的内容对屏幕阅读器可能不可见
  6. 浏览器兼容:旧版浏览器可能需要单冒号语法

总结

伪元素是 CSS 中最具创造力的特性之一。它让我们能够在不污染 HTML 结构的前提下,添加丰富的视觉效果和装饰元素。

核心要点

  • ::before 和 ::after:最常用的伪元素,在内容前后插入虚拟元素
    • content 属性是必需的
    • 可用于图标、引号、形状、计数器、属性值显示等
    • 默认为行内元素,常需设置 display
  • ::first-letter:选择首字母,实现首字下沉等效果
  • ::first-line:选择首行,突出显示第一行文本
  • ::selection:自定义文本选中样式
  • ::placeholder:自定义表单占位符样式
  • 实战应用:清除浮动、加载动画、工具提示、面包屑导航、进度条、装饰效果
  • 最佳实践:合理使用、注意性能、保持语义、考虑可访问性