Categories
A class is an attribute used to classify or group multiple HTML elements together, allowing them to be styled or targeted collectively using CSS or JavaScript. The class attribute provides a way to apply common styles or behavior to multiple elements without having to repeat the styles or code for each individual element.
To use the class attribute, follow these steps:
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Define a class name: Choose a name for the class that represents its purpose or style. Class names are case-sensitive and should not contain spaces or special characters (except for dashes or underscores).
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Assign the class to HTML elements: Add the class attribute to the HTML elements you want to associate with the class. Set the value of the class attribute to the chosen class name.
Here's an example of how to use the class attribute:
<p class="highlight">This paragraph has a custom class.</p>
<p>This paragraph does not have a class.</p>
<p class="highlight">Another paragraph with the same class.</p>
CSS
.highlight {
background-color: yellow;
color: red;
}
In the example above, the class "highlight" is assigned to the first and third paragraphs using the class attribute. The CSS code then targets the elements with the class "highlight" and applies a background color of yellow and text color of red.
Multiple elements can have the same class, allowing you to apply consistent styles or behavior across them. Additionally, elements can have multiple classes by separating them with spaces within the class attribute, enabling the combination of different styles or behaviors.
<p class="highlight bold">This paragraph is highlighted and bold.</p>
In the above example, the paragraph has both the "highlight" and "bold" classes applied. This allows you to define separate styles for each class and combine them as needed.
By using classes, you can enhance the maintainability and reusability of your code. It's common to define classes in a separate CSS file or within a <style> block in the HTML document to keep the styling separate from the markup.
In addition to CSS, classes can also be used to target elements with JavaScript or jQuery, enabling dynamic manipulation and behavior changes based on the assigned classes.