CSS Margin - XI

The following CSS margin codes demonstrate the various CSS properties you can use to apply styles to the border of any HTML element.
Margins define the space around the element. CSS margins are specified in a similar way to borders - they can be set individually for each side, or all sides at once.

Setting Margins on all Sides

<div style="border:1px solid blue;">
<p style="border:1px solid orange;margin:20px;">
This text has a margin of 20 pixels on all four sides.
It is nested within a div with a border to make it easier to see the effect of the margin.
</p>
</div>

This results in:

This text has a margin of 20 pixels on all four sides. It is nested within a div with a border to make it easier to see the effect of the margin.

Setting Margins for Each Side

If you don't want the margin settings to be applied to all four sides, or if you want each side to have different margins applied, you can use the following properties:

• margin-top
• margin-right
• margin-bottom
• margin-left

Example:

<p style="border:1px solid orange;margin-left:60px;">This text has a left margin of 60 pixels.</p>

This results in:

This text has a left margin of 60 pixels.

Shorthand Property

This method uses a shorthand property for setting margin-top, margin-right, margin-bottom, and margin-left in the one place. This method is quicker. It also uses less code than the previous method. Actually, it's the same property that we used in our first example (i.e. the margin property). The only difference is that we apply multiple values against it.
Code:

<div style="border:1px solid blue;width:200px;">
<p style="border:1px solid orange;margin:40px 10px 1px 40px;">
This text has a different sized margin for each side. 
It is nested within a div with a border to make it easier to see the effect of the margin.
</p>
</div>

Result:

This text has a different sized margin for each side. It is nested within a div with a border to make it easier to see the effect of the margin.

Variations

You don't need to provide different values for all four sides. You can provide one, two, three, or four values. Here's how it works:
If there is only one value, it applies to all sides. If there are two values, the top and bottom margins are set to the first value and the right and left margins are set to the second. If there are three values, the top is set to the first value, the left and right are set to the second, and the bottom is set to the third. If there are four values, they apply to the top, right, bottom, and left, respectively.
In other words:

margin:10px;

• All four sides have a margin of 10 pixels.

margin:10px 20px;

• Top and bottom have a margin of 10 pixels.
• Right and left have a margin of 20 pixels.

margin:10px 20px 30px;

• Top is 10px
• Left and right are 20px
• Bottom is 30px

margin:10px 20px 30px 40px;

• Top is 10px
• Right is 20px
• Bottom is 30px
• Left is 40px

CSS Border - X

The following CSS border codes demonstrate the various CSS properties you can use to apply styles to the border of any HTML element.
CSS allows you to set styles for the border of any HTML element. It also provides you with a way of setting border styles for one or more sides of an element.

Setting Borders on all Sides

To set border styles for all sides of an element, you use the border-width, border-style, and border-color properties. You can also use the border property to set all properties at once.

'border-width', 'border-style', and 'border-color'

<p style="border-width:1px;border-style:solid;border-color:blue;">This text has border styles applied using the border-width, border-style, and border-color properties.</p>

This results in:

This text has border styles applied using the border-width, border-style, and border-color properties.

The 'border' Property

The 'border' property is shorthand for setting border-width, border-style, and border-color.

<p style="border:1px solid blue;">This text has border styles applied using the border property.</p>

This results in:

This text has border styles applied using the border property.

Border Styles

Borders can have the following styles.

<p style="border:4px solid blue;">This text has a border style of 'solid'.</p>
<p style="border:4px dotted blue;">This text has a border style of 'dotted'.</p>
<p style="border:4px dashed blue;">This text has a border style of 'dashed'.</p>
<p style="border:4px double blue;">This text has a border style of 'double'.</p>
<p style="border:4px groove blue;">This text has a border style of 'groove'.</p>
<p style="border:4px ridge blue;">This text has a border style of 'ridge'.</p>
<p style="border:4px inset blue;">This text has a border style of 'inset'.</p>
<p style="border:4px outset blue;">This text has a border style of 'outset'.</p>
<p style="border:4px hidden blue;">This text has a border style of 'hidden'.</p>

This results in:

This text has a border style of 'solid'.

This text has a border style of 'dotted'.

This text has a border style of 'dashed'.

This text has a border style of 'double'.

This text has a border style of 'groove'.

This text has a border style of 'ridge'.

This text has a border style of 'inset'.

This text has a border style of 'outset'.

This text has a border style of 'hidden'.

Setting Borders for Each Side

If you don't want the border settings to be applied to all four sides, or if you want each side to have different styles applied, you can use the following properties:

Explicit Properties

• border-bottom-color
• border-bottom-style
• border-bottom-width
• border-left-color
• border-left-style
• border-left-width
• border-right-color
• border-right-style
• border-right-width
• border-top-color
• border-top-style
• border-top-width

Example:

<p style="border-bottom-width:4px;border-bottom-style:double;border-bottom-color:blue;">This text has a bottom border.</p>

This results in:

This text has a bottom border.

Shorthand Properties

The following properties provide you with a more concise way of specifying border properties for each side.

• border-bottom
• border-left
• border-right
• border-top

Example:

<p style="border-bottom:4px double blue;">This text has a bottom border.</p>

This results in:

This text has a bottom border.

CSS Background Code - IX

The following CSS background codes demonstrate the various CSS properties you can use to style the background of any HTML element.

CSS Background Color

<p style="background-color:yellow;">This text has a background color applied.</p>

This results in:

This text has a background color applied.

CSS Background Image

<p style="height:100px;background-image:url(/pix/smile.gif);">This text has a background image applied. </p>

This results in:

This text has a background image applied.

CSS Background Repeat

Determines whether the background image repeats (tiles) or not. For info on the possible values, see the background-repeat page.

<p style="height:100px;background-image:url(/pix/smile.gif);background-repeat:no-repeat;">This background image does not repeat. </p>

This results in:

This background image does not repeat.

CSS Background Position

Determines the position of the background image.

<p style="height:100px;background-image:url(/pix/smile.gif);background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:100px;">This background image is positioned 100 pixels in from the left. </p>

This results in:

This background image is positioned 100 pixels in from the left.

CSS Background Attachment

Determines whether or not the background image scrolls with the outer container.

<p style="height:100px;width:150px;overflow:scroll;background-image:url(/pix/smile.gif);background-attachment:fixed;">This background image is fixed - it doesn't scroll with its outer container. This example uses the CSS overflow property to force the box to scroll when there's too much text to fit in the box. </p>

This results in:

This background image is fixed - it doesn't scroll with its outer container. This example uses the CSS overflow property to force the box to scroll when there's too much text to fit in the box.

Shorthand Code

You can use the background property to set all the background properties at once. For example:

<p style="height:100px;width:150px;overflow:scroll;background:url(/pix/smile.gif) repeat fixed;">This paragraph tag has been styled using the 'background' property, which is shorthand for setting multiple properties for an HTML element. </p>

This results in:

This paragraph tag has been styled using the 'background' property, which is shorthand for setting multiple properties for an HTML element.

CSS Text - VIII

Apart from the various CSS font properties, there are other properties that can assist in styling your text. For example, you can change the color of text, align text, add decoration properties and more.
In CSS, text can be styled using the properties listed below. Using this list, you can learn how to use each css text property and what it looks like in a browser.

CSS Text Color

<p style="color:olive;">This CSS text color is olive</p>

This results in:

This CSS text color is olive

CSS Text Align

<p style="text-align:right;">This CSS text is aligned right</p>

This results in:

This CSS text is aligned right

CSS Text Indent

Indents the first line of the paragraph.

<p style="text-indent:50px;">This text is indented by 50 pixels. What this means is that the first line of the paragraph will be indented by 50 pixels, but the following lines will not be indented. The text will need to wrap before you can see the indent - hence all this text!</p>

This results in:

This text is indented by 50 pixels. What this means is that the first line of the paragraph will be indented by 50 pixels, but the following lines will not be indented. The text will need to wrap before you can see the indent - hence all this text!

CSS Letter Spacing

<p style="letter-spacing:5px;">This text has letter spacing applied</p>

This results in:

This text has letter spacing applied

CSS Word Spacing

<p style="word-spacing:50px;">This text has word spacing applied</p>

This results in:

This text has word spacing applied

CSS Text Decoration

<p style="text-decoration:overline;">This text has a line over the top</p>
<p style="text-decoration:line-through;">This text has a line through the middle</p>
<p style="text-decoration:underline;">This text has a line underneath</p>
<a style="text-decoration:none;" a href="/css/properties/css_text-decoration.cfm" >
This hyperlink has no underline</a>
<p style="text-decoration:blink;">This text is blinking</p>

This results in:

This text has a line over the top

This text has a line through the middle

This text has a line underneath

This hyperlink has no underlineThis text is blinking

CSS Text Transform

<p style="text-transform:uppercase;">This text has been transformed to uppercase</p>
<p style="text-transform:lowercase;">THIS TEXT HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED TO LOWERCASE</p>
<p style="text-transform:capitalize;">this text has been capitalized.</p>

This results in:

THIS TEXT HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED TO UPPERCASE

this text has been transformed to lowercase

This Text Has Been Capitalized.

CSS Text Direction

<p style="direction:rtl;">This text is running from right to left. This can be useful for languages where the text runs from right to left. Not so useful for english though...</p>

This results in:

This text is running from right to left. This can be useful for languages where the text runs from right to left. Not so useful for english though...

CSS unicode-bidi

Use this in conjunction with the direction property to determine the direction of the text. Possible values: normal, embed, bidi-override, and inherit.

<p style="direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:bidi-override;">This text is running from right to left. This can be useful for languages where the text runs from right to left. Not so useful for english though...</p>

This results in:

This text is running from right to left. This can be useful for languages where the text runs from right to left. Not so useful for english though...

CSS Text Shadow

<p style="text-shadow:4px 4px 8px blue;">If your browser supports the CSS text-shadow property, this text will have a shadow.</p>

This results in:

If your browser supports the CSS text-shadow property, this text will have a shadow.

CSS White Space

Tells the browser how to handle white space. Possible values: normal, pre, and nowrap.

<p style="white-space:pre;">This text has a line break
and the white-space pre setting tells the browser to honor it
just like the HTML pre tag.</p>

This results in:

This text has a line break and the white-space pre setting tells the browser to honor it just like the HTML pre tag.

CSS Font - VII

CSS font properties enable you to change the look of your text. For example, you can assign a font family, apply bold or italic formatting, change the size and more.

CSS Font Family

<p style="font-family:georgia,garamond,serif;">This text is rendered in either georgia, garamond, or the default serif font (depending on which font the user's system has).</p>

This results in:

This text is rendered in either georgia, garamond, or the default serif font (depending on which font the user's system has).

CSS Font Size

Enables you to set the size of the text. For info on the possible values, see the CSS font-size page.

<p style="font-size:20px;">This text is using a font size of 20 pixels.</p>

This results in:

This text is using a font size of 20 pixels.

CSS Font Size Adjust

This property enables you to adjust the x-height to make fonts more legible. For more info, see the font-size-adjust page.

<p style="font-size-adjust:0.58;">This text is using a font-size-adjust value.</p>

This results in:

This text is using a font-size-adjust value.

CSS Font Stretch

This property relies on the user's computer to have an expanded or condensed version of the font being used. For all possible values, see the font-stretch page.

<p style="font-stretch:ultra-expanded;">If your computer has an expanded version of the font being used, this text will be stretched.</p>

This results in:

If your computer has an expanded version of the font being used, this text will be stretched.

CSS Font Style

<p style="font-style:italic;">This text is in italics.</p>

This results in:

This text is in italics.

CSS Font Variant

Enables you to set your text to use small caps.

<p style="font-variant:small-caps;">This Text Is Using Small Caps.</p>

This results in:

This Text Is Using Small Caps.

CSS Font Weight

Enables you to set your text to bold.

<p style="font-weight:bold;">This text is bold.</p>

This results in:

This text is bold.

CSS Font Property

The font property is a shorthand property that enables you to set all font properties in one go.

<p style="font:italic small-caps bold 20px georgia,garamond,serif;">The styles for this text has been specified with the 'font' shorthand property.</p>

This results in:

The styles for this text has been specified with the 'font' shorthand property.

CSS id - VI

IDs allow you to assign a unique identifier to an HTML element. This allows you to define a style that can only be used by the element you assign the ID to.

CSS ID Syntax

The syntax for declaring a CSS ID is the same as for classes - except that instead of using a dot, you use a hash (#).

#id-name { property:value; }

Again, similar to classes, if you want to use the same id name for multiple elements, but each with a different style, you can prefix the hash with the HTML element name.

html-element-name#id-name { property:value; }

CSS ID Example

<head>
<style type="text/css">
h1#css-section { color:#000099 }
p#css-section { color:#999999; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1 id="css-section">CSS ID</h1>
<p id="css-section">CSS IDs can be very useful</p>
</body>

This results in:

CSS ID

CSS IDs can be very useful

IDs vs Classes

Given classes and IDs are very similar, you may be wondering which one to use. This depends on the situation.

When to use classes

You should use classes when your style needs to be applied multiple times on the same page. For example, you might have manyh1 elements that need the same style applied.

When to use IDs

You should use IDs if only one element on the page should have the style applied, and/or you need a unique identifier for that element. For example, you might assign an ID to a div tag which contains your left menu. The styles for this ID could contain the position, background-color, float properties, size etc. You probably wouldn't want any other element on the page to use this particular style.
Another useful thing about IDs is that you can use the Document Object Model (DOM) to refer to them. This enables you to use JavaScript/DHTML techniques to build a much more interactive web site.

CSS Class - V

A few lessons ago, we learned about selectors. You may recall that selectors are the things we apply a style against. In our examples, our selectors were all HTML elements. For example, we decided to make the h1 element blue.
Now, that works well if you want all headings to be blue. But what if you only want some of your headings to be blue? Perhaps you want the color of your headings to reflect the section of the site that you're in.
Sounds like you need to use classes!
In CSS, classes allow you to apply a style to a given class of an element. To do this, you link the element to the style by declaring a style for the class, then assigning that class to the element.

CSS Class Syntax

You declare a CSS class by using a dot (.) followed by the class name. You make up the class name yourself. After the class name you simply enter the properties/values that you want to assign to your class.

.class-name { property:value; }

If you want to use the same class name for multiple elements, but each with a different style, you can prefix the dot with the HTML element name.

html-element-name.class-name { property:value; }

CSS Class Example

<head>
<style type="text/css">
h1.css-section { color:#000099 }
p.css-section { color:#999999; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1 class="css-section">CSS Class</h1>
<p class="css-section">CSS classes can be very useful</p>
</body>

This results in:

CSS Class

CSS classes can be very useful

Cascading Rules of Classes

If you have already applied a style to an element, the element will first use those styles, then the ones defined in the class.