CSS Transitions
CSS Transitions
CSS transitions allows you to change property values smoothly, over a given duration.
Mouse over the element below to see a CSS transition effect:
CSS
In this chapter you will learn about the following properties:
transitiontransition-delaytransition-durationtransition-propertytransition-timing-function
Browser Support for Transitions
The numbers in the table specify the first browser version that fully supports the property.
| Property | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| transition | 26.0 | 10.0 | 16.0 | 6.1 | 12.1 |
| transition-delay | 26.0 | 10.0 | 16.0 | 6.1 | 12.1 |
| transition-duration | 26.0 | 10.0 | 16.0 | 6.1 | 12.1 |
| transition-property | 26.0 | 10.0 | 16.0 | 6.1 | 12.1 |
| transition-timing-function | 26.0 | 10.0 | 16.0 | 6.1 | 12.1 |
Browser Specific Prefixes
Some older browsers need specific prefixes (-webkit-) to understand the transition properties:
Example
div {
width: 100px;
height: 100px;
background: red;
-webkit-transition: width 2s; /* Safari prior 6.1 */
transition: width 2s;
}
How to Use CSS Transitions?
To create a transition effect, you must specify two things:
- the CSS property you want to add an effect to
- the duration of the effect
Note: If the duration part is not specified, the transition will have no effect, because the default value is 0.
The following example shows a 100px * 100px red <div> element. The <div> element has also specified a transition effect for the width property, with a duration of 2 seconds:
Example
div {
width: 100px;
height: 100px;
background: red;
transition: width 2s;
}
The transition effect will start when the specified CSS property (width) changes value.
Now, let us specify a new value for the width property when a user mouses over the <div> element:
Example
div:hover {
width: 300px;
}
Notice that when the cursor mouses out of the element, it will gradually change back to its original style.
Change Several Property Values
The following example adds a transition effect for both the width and height property, with a duration of 2 seconds for the width and 4 seconds for the height:
Example
div {
transition: width 2s, height 4s;
}
Specify the Speed Curve of the Transition
The
transition-timing-function property specifies the speed curve of the transition effect.
The transition-timing-function property can have the following values:
ease- specifies a transition effect with a slow start, then fast, then end slowly (this is default)linear- specifies a transition effect with the same speed from start to endease-in- specifies a transition effect with a slow startease-out- specifies a transition effect with a slow endease-in-out- specifies a transition effect with a slow start and endcubic-bezier(n,n,n,n)- lets you define your own values in a cubic-bezier function
The following example shows the some of the different speed curves that can be used:
Example
#div1 {transition-timing-function: linear;}
#div2 {transition-timing-function: ease;}
#div3 {transition-timing-function: ease-in;}
#div4 {transition-timing-function: ease-out;}
#div5 {transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;}
Delay the Transition Effect
The
transition-delay property specifies a delay (in seconds) for the transition effect.
The following example has a 1 second delay before starting:
Example
div {
transition-delay: 1s;
}
Transition + Transformation
The following example adds a transition effect to the transformation:
Example
div {
transition: width 2s, height 2s, transform 2s;
}
More Transition Examples
The CSS transition properties can be specified one by one, like this:
Example
div {
transition-property: width;
transition-duration: 2s;
transition-timing-function: linear;
transition-delay: 1s;
}
or by using the shorthand property
transition:Example
div {
transition: width 2s linear 1s;
}
Test Yourself with Exercises!
CSS Transition Properties
The following table lists all the CSS transition properties:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| transition | A shorthand property for setting the four transition properties into a single property |
| transition-delay | Specifies a delay (in seconds) for the transition effect |
| transition-duration | Specifies how many seconds or milliseconds a transition effect takes to complete |
| transition-property | Specifies the name of the CSS property the transition effect is for |
| transition-timing-function | Specifies the speed curve of the transition effect |