How to Change a Child Element's CSS Based on a Parent's Pseudo-Element Hover State Using Pure CSS

Описание: Learn how to change the CSS of a child element when hovering over a parent's pseudo-element (::after) using the `pointer-events` property in pure CSS.
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A Guide to Changing Child Element’s CSS with Parent's Pseudo-Element Hover State

Introduction

Have you ever encountered a scenario where you wanted to change the style of a child element based on a hover event on a parent's pseudo-element? This can be a common requirement in web design when trying to enhance user interaction. In this guide, we’ll explore how to achieve this effect using pure CSS, without the need for JavaScript.

The Challenge

Consider you have an HTML structure where a parent element has a pseudo-element (such as ::after) and you want the child element to change its style when the user hovers over that pseudo-element. Below is a simple code snippet to illustrate this scenario:

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With the following CSS setup:

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The Problem

The primary issue arises because the pseudo-elements cannot trigger a hover state directly on their sibling elements. So, how can we create the effect of changing the child's color when hovering over the ::after pseudo-element of the parent?

The Solution: Using pointer-events

The solution to this problem lies in the pointer-events CSS property. This property allows us to control how elements respond to mouse events. By strategically applying this property, we can achieve the desired hovering effect.

Step-by-Step Explanation

Disable Pointer Events on the Parent and Child:
You need to ensure that the parent and all child elements do not respond to pointer events except for the pseudo-element. This is done by setting pointer-events: none; on the parent and its children.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Allow Pointer Events on the Pseudo-Element:
The pseudo-element, in this case ::after, should be the only element that can respond to mouse events. This is achieved by setting pointer-events: initial; on the pseudo-element.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Change Child Color on Hover:
Finally, you can define the hover effect on the child element. When the parent is hovered over (which will be triggered by hovering over the ::after), change the child's color.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Final Code Example

Here’s the complete code reflecting the above steps:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

By using the pointer-events property, we can effectively manage hover states and create interactive designs without needing to resort to JavaScript. This technique not only enhances user experience but also keeps your implementation lightweight. Now, you can dynamically change child element styles based on parent interactions, all through the power of CSS.

Feel free to explore and modify this solution to suit your specific needs, and make your web projects more interactive!