CSS Zebra

Introduction

CSS Zebra is a CSS technique used to style tables by alternating the background color of rows to create a striped effect. This effect improves the readability of tables, especially large ones.

The technique is called "zebra" because the pattern created resembles that of the fur of a zebra, which has black and white stripes.

How it Works

The technique is achieved by using a simple CSS selector to target every even or odd row of a table and applying a background color to it.

tr:nth-child(even) {
  background-color: #f2f2f2;
}

tr:nth-child(odd) {
  background-color: #ffffff;
}

This code will alternate the background color of the rows in a table, starting with a white row followed by a gray row, then white, then gray, and so on. We can see this in the example below:

| Name | Age | Gender | | --------- | --- | ------ | | John | 25 | Male | | Jane | 30 | Female | | Michael | 20 | Male | | Michelle | 28 | Female | | Christopher | 35 | Male |

Advantages

• Improves the readability of tables, especially large ones.
• Makes it easier to track information in a table.

Disadvantages

• Can be difficult to implement in nested tables.
• May not work on older browsers which do not support the nth-child selector.

Conclusion

CSS Zebra is a simple and effective technique for styling tables. By alternating the background color of rows, tables become easier to read and track. However, this technique may not be suitable for all situations, such as nested tables or older browsers.