CSS Transitions

Subject: css

CSS Transitions

CSS Transitions enable smooth and gradual changes in property values instead of sudden jumps. They enhance the user experience by adding interactivity to elements such as buttons, menus, modals, and hover effects.

Why Use CSS Transitions?

  • Improve UI responsiveness
  • Add animation without JavaScript
  • Make layout and state changes feel natural
  • Enhance user engagement and feedback

Syntax

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Parameters:

  • property: The CSS property to animate (e.g., color, width)
  • duration: Time the transition takes (e.g., 0.5s, 2s)
  • timing-function: Defines the speed curve (ease, linear, ease-in, etc.)
  • delay: Optional wait time before starting the transition

Example: Button Hover Transition

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Explanation

  • On hover, the background-color smoothly transitions over 0.4 seconds.
  • The button also scales up using transform: scale(1.05).
  • The ease timing function makes the animation start slow, speed up, and slow down again.

Transition Shorthand

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Applies transition to all animatable properties.

Common Transition Timing Functions

  • ease: Default, smooth start and end
  • linear: Same speed from start to finish
  • ease-in: Slow start
  • ease-out: Slow end
  • ease-in-out: Slow start and end

Properties You Can Animate

  • color
  • background-color
  • width, height
  • padding, margin
  • transform
  • opacity
  • box-shadow

Best Practices

  • Keep durations short (0.3s–0.5s) for responsiveness
  • Use with :hover, :focus, :active pseudo-classes
  • Avoid excessive transition of layout properties like top, left
  • Use will-change for performance optimization when needed

Key Takeaways

  • CSS transitions animate style changes smoothly
  • Use for properties like background-color, transform, and opacity
  • Combine multiple properties in one transition declaration
  • Great for enhancing interactivity without JavaScript
  • Simple to implement and widely supported
Next: CSS Animations