What symbol is used to denote a class selector in CSS?

The symbol used to denote a class selector in CSS is a period (.). When you use a class selector in a CSS rule, it allows you to apply styles to any HTML element that has the specified class attribute.

For example, if you have a class called "highlight" and you want to change the text color to blue, you would write the following CSS:

.highlight {

color: blue;

}

In this case, the period before "highlight" indicates that you are selecting elements with that class. This is a fundamental aspect of CSS that allows for versatile styling across different elements without needing to apply inline styles directly in the HTML document.

The other symbols mentioned serve different purposes: a hash (#) is used for ID selectors, an exclamation mark (!) is not a selector but is typically associated with CSS declarations for important rules, and an asterisk (*) is used as a universal selector to select all elements. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for effectively using CSS in web development.