# PostCSS Dir Pseudo Class [][PostCSS]
[][npm-url] [][css-url] [][cli-url] [][discord]
[PostCSS Dir Pseudo Class] lets you style by directionality using the `:dir()`
pseudo-class in CSS, following the [Selectors] specification.
```pcss
article h3:dir(rtl) {
margin-right: 10px;
}
article h3:dir(ltr) {
margin-left: 10px;
}
/* becomes */
[dir="rtl"] article h3 {
margin-right: 10px;
}
[dir="ltr"] article h3 {
margin-left: 10px;
}
```
### Maintaining Specificity
Using [PostCSS Dir Pseudo Class] will not impact selector weight, but it will
require having at least one `[dir]` attribute in your HTML. If you don’t have
_any_ `[dir]` attributes, consider using the following JavaScript:
```js
// force at least one dir attribute (this can run at any time)
document.documentElement.dir=document.documentElement.dir||'ltr';
```
If you absolutely cannot add a `[dir]` attribute in your HTML or even force one
via JavaScript, you can still work around this by presuming a direction in your
CSS using the [`dir` option](#dir), but understand that this will
sometimes increase selector weight by one element (`html`).
## Usage
Add [PostCSS Dir Pseudo Class] to your project:
```bash
npm install postcss postcss-dir-pseudo-class --save-dev
```
Use it as a [PostCSS] plugin:
```js
const postcss = require('postcss');
const postcssDirPseudoClass = require('postcss-dir-pseudo-class');
postcss([
postcssDirPseudoClass(/* pluginOptions */)
]).process(YOUR_CSS /*, processOptions */);
```
[PostCSS Dir Pseudo Class] runs in all Node environments, with special
instructions for:
- [Node](INSTALL.md#node)
- [PostCSS CLI](INSTALL.md#postcss-cli)
- [PostCSS Load Config](INSTALL.md#postcss-load-config)
- [Webpack](INSTALL.md#webpack)
- [Next.js](INSTALL.md#nextjs)
- [Gulp](INSTALL.md#gulp)
- [Grunt](INSTALL.md#grunt)
## Options
### preserve
The `preserve` option determines whether the original notation
is preserved. By default, it is not preserved.
```js
postcssDirPseudoClass({ preserve: true })
```
```pcss
article h3:dir(rtl) {
margin-right: 10px;
}
article h3:dir(ltr) {
margin-left: 10px;
}
/* becomes */
[dir="rtl"] article h3 {
margin-right: 10px;
}
article h3:dir(rtl) {
margin-right: 10px;
}
[dir="ltr"] article h3 {
margin-left: 10px;
}
article h3:dir(ltr) {
margin-left: 10px;
}
```
### dir
The `dir` option allows you presume a direction in your CSS. By default, this
is not specified and you are required to include a direction `[dir]` attribute
somewhere in your HTML, preferably on the `html` element.
```js
postcssDirPseudoClass({ dir: 'ltr' });
```
```pcss
article h3:dir(rtl) {
margin-right: 10px;
}
article h3:dir(ltr) {
margin-left: 10px;
}
/* becomes */
[dir="rtl"] article h3 {
margin-right: 10px;
}
html:not([dir="rtl"]) article h3 {
margin-left: 10px;
}
```
```js
postcssDirPseudoClass({ dir: 'rtl' });
```
```pcss
article h3:dir(rtl) {
margin-right: 10px;
}
article h3:dir(ltr) {
margin-left: 10px;
}
/* becomes */
html:not([dir="ltr"]) article h3 {
margin-right: 10px;
}
[dir="ltr"] article h3 {
margin-left: 10px;
}
```
### shadow
The `shadow` option determines whether the CSS is assumed to be used in Shadow DOM with Custom Elements.
```js
postcssDirPseudoClass({ shadow: true })
```
```pcss
article h3:dir(rtl) {
margin-right: 10px;
}
article h3:dir(ltr) {
margin-left: 10px;
}
/* becomes */
:host-context([dir="rtl"]) article h3 {
margin-right: 10px;
}
:host-context([dir="ltr"]) article h3 {
margin-left: 10px;
}
```
[cli-url]: https://github.com/csstools/postcss-plugins/actions/workflows/test.yml?query=workflow/test
[css-url]: https://cssdb.org/#dir-pseudo-class
[discord]: https://discord.gg/bUadyRwkJS
[npm-url]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/postcss-dir-pseudo-class
[PostCSS]: https://github.com/postcss/postcss
[PostCSS Dir Pseudo Class]: https://github.com/csstools/postcss-plugins/tree/main/plugins/postcss-dir-pseudo-class
[Selectors]: https://www.w3.org/TR/selectors-4/#the-dir-pseudo