Difference between CSS1, CSS2, and CSS3

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) has come a long way since its inception. Here are the main differences between CSS1, CSS2, and CSS3.

CSS1

• CSS1 is the first version of CSS, released in 1996. It provides basic styling capabilities for HTML documents.
• Basic features include simple fonts (such as color, size, and family), text, background colors, and borders.
  There were fewer selectors compared to later versions, and basic element, class, and ID selectors were supported.
• CSS1 lacks support for positioning, floating elements, and many of the layout elements that are now standard in modern web design.

CSS2

• CSS2 was released in 1998 as an extension of CSS1, introducing vastly improved styling capabilities and addressing some limitations of the previous version.
• It introduced features such as position accuracy, relativity, and stability, and enabled more robust design.
• CSS2 introduced support for media types and media requests, allowing developers to create custom style sheets for different devices and screen sizes.
• Selectors have been extended to include sibling selectors, feature selectors, and pseudo-classes, providing greater flexibility in targeting elements.
• CSS2 also introduced support for synthetic text, such as adding text before or after an element using ::before and ::after pseudo-elements.

CSS3

CSS3 is the latest iteration of CSS, with many modules developed independently, allowing for rapid adoption of new features.

Flexible Box Layout (Flexbox)

A layout model designed to facilitate the alignment and distribution of items within a container.

Grid Layout

A powerful two-dimensional layout system for arranging objects in rows and columns.

Multiple Backgrounds

The ability to apply multiple backgrounds to an element.
Transitions and animations: CSS3 introduced support for creating continuous transitions and animations without the need for JavaScript.

Media Queries Level 4

Based on CSS2, CSS3 introduces new features of responsive design, allowing for precise control of styles based on device type
Custom Properties (CSS Variables)

The ability to define custom variables in CSS for reuse throughout the stylesheet.

New Selectors

CSS3 introduced new options like the :nth-child() pseudo-class and the :not() pseudo-class, which provide more powerful methods of targeting objects.

CSS has evolved from a basic styling language to a powerful tool for creating complex responsive web layouts with a wide range of design options.

Also, Read: How to debug CSS?