HTML Guide
This error typically occurs when there is a syntax issue in the CSS code for the background-color
property in your HTML or CSS file. The error message indicates that there is an unexpected semicolon (;
) after the #
symbol, which is commonly used to define hexadecimal color values.
Here is a step-by-step guide to fix this issue:
-
Locate the Error:
- Look for the line and column in your code as specified by the validator. This is where the error is occurring.
-
Identify the Issue:
-
Check the
background-color
property at that location. It’s likely that you have a semicolon directly after the#
or an invalid color value.
-
Check the
-
Correct the Syntax:
-
Ensure that the
background-color
property is followed by a valid hexadecimal color value, an RGB/RGBA value, an HSL/HSLA value, or a predefined color keyword.
-
Ensure that the
Example of Error
Let’s say you have the following erroneous CSS code:
body {
background-color: #; /* Incorrect */
}
The above code is incorrect because #;
is not a valid color value.
Corrected Example
Here’s how to fix it by providing a valid hexadecimal color value:
body {
background-color: #ffffff; /* Correct: Hexadecimal color for white */
}
Alternatively, you can also use other color formats or color keywords. Examples:
body {
background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); /* RGB color */
}
body {
background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1); /* RGBA color */
}
body {
background-color: hsl(0, 0%, 100%); /* HSL color */
}
body {
background-color: hsla(0, 0%, 100%, 1); /* HSLA color */
}
body {
background-color: white; /* Predefined color keyword */
}
Related W3C validator issues
The background-color property in CSS expects a valid color value. Valid color values include keywords (such as red or blue), hexadecimal values (such as #FFFFFF), RGB values (such as rgb(255, 255, 255)), and others.
Example Fix
Invalid CSS
The following snippet is invalid because 0 is not a valid color value:
<style>
.example {
background-color: 0;
}
</style>
Valid CSS
To fix it, use a valid color value. Below are examples using different types of color values:
Color Keyword
<style>
.example {
background-color: black;
}
</style>
Hexadecimal Color
<style>
.example {
background-color: #000000;
}
</style>
RGB Color
<style>
.example {
background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);
}
</style>
RGBA Color
<style>
.example {
background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
}
</style>
The <table> element does not accept a height attribute. Use CSS instead.
To query for the size of the viewport (or the page box on page media), the width, height and aspect-ratio media features should be used, rather than device-width, device-height and device-aspect-ratio, which refer to the physical size of the device regardless of how much space is available for the document being laid out. The device-* media features are also sometimes used as a proxy to detect mobile devices. Instead, authors should use media features that better represent the aspect of the device that they are attempting to style against.
The width media feature describes the width of the targeted display area of the output device. For continuous media, this is the width of the viewport including the size of a rendered scroll bar (if any).
In the following example, this media query expresses that the style sheet is only linked if the width of the viewport 768px maximum:
<link rel="stylesheet" media="only screen and (max-width: 768px)" href="styles.css">
To query for the size of the viewport (or the page box on page media), the width, height and aspect-ratio media features should be used, rather than device-width, device-height and device-aspect-ratio, which refer to the physical size of the device regardless of how much space is available for the document being laid out. The device-* media features are also sometimes used as a proxy to detect mobile devices. Instead, authors should use media features that better represent the aspect of the device that they are attempting to style against.
The width media feature describes the width of the targeted display area of the output device. For continuous media, this is the width of the viewport including the size of a rendered scroll bar (if any).
In the following example, this media query expresses that the style sheet is only linked if the width of the viewport is greater than 768px:
<link rel="stylesheet" media="only screen and (min-width: 768px)" href="styles.css">
The issue you’re encountering indicates that the CSS property align-items is being set to a value of auto, which is not a valid value for this property according to the CSS specification. The align-items property is used in flexbox and grid layouts to define how items are aligned along the cross axis.
Fixing the Issue:
-
Understand Valid Values: The valid values for the align-items property include:
/* Basic keywords */ align-items: normal; align-items: stretch; /* Positional alignment */ /* align-items does not take left and right values */ align-items: center; align-items: start; align-items: end; align-items: flex-start; align-items: flex-end; align-items: self-start; align-items: self-end; align-items: anchor-center; /* Baseline alignment */ align-items: baseline; align-items: first baseline; align-items: last baseline; /* Overflow alignment (for positional alignment only) */ align-items: safe center; align-items: unsafe center; /* Global values */ align-items: inherit; align-items: initial; align-items: revert; align-items: revert-layer; align-items: unset;
-
Choose a Correct Value: Based on the desired alignment, choose one of the valid values. For instance:
- Use flex-start to align items to the start of the container.
- Use center to align items in the center.
- Use stretch to stretch items to fill the container.
-
Example Correction: If your original CSS was:
.container { display: flex; align-items: auto; /* This is invalid */ }
You could change it to:
.container { display: flex; align-items: center; /* This is valid */ }
Conclusion:
Replace the invalid auto value with a valid option that suits the design you aim for, making sure to test the layout after applying changes to confirm that the items align as intended.
The aspect-ratio CSS property allows you to define the desired width-to-height ratio of an element’s box. This means that even if the parent container or viewport size changes, the browser will adjust the element’s dimensions to maintain the specified width-to-height ratio. The specified aspect ratio is used in the calculation of auto sizes and some other layout functions.
The box’s preferred aspect ratio is the specified ratio of width / height. If height and the preceding slash character are omitted, height defaults to 1.
Here are some examples of this property:
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
aspect-ratio: 1;
/* Global values */
aspect-ratio: inherit;
aspect-ratio: initial;
aspect-ratio: revert;
aspect-ratio: revert-layer;
aspect-ratio: unset;
A CSS definition for background-image could not be understood by the parser. Check its definition to ensure that it’s well formed and that it contains an appropriate value.
The border-color property in CSS expects a valid color value. Valid color values include keywords (such as red or blue), hexadecimal values (such as #FFFFFF), RGB values (such as rgb(255, 255, 255)), and others.
Example Fix
Invalid CSS
The following snippet is invalid because 0 is not a valid color value:
<style>
.example {
border-color: 0;
}
</style>
Valid CSS
To fix it, use a valid color value. Below are examples using different types of color values:
Color Keyword
<style>
.example {
border-color: black;
}
</style>
Hexadecimal Color
<style>
.example {
border-color: #000000;
}
</style>
RGB Color
<style>
.example {
border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);
}
</style>
RGBA Color
<style>
.example {
border-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
}
</style>
The error you encountered indicates that the value none is not a valid value for the border-radius CSS property. The border-radius property expects a length value (like px, em, etc.), or keywords that define its radius, such as 0 or inherit.
How to Fix It
- Use a Valid Value: If you want no border radius, use 0 instead of none.
- Specify a Length: If you want rounded borders, specify a valid length value (e.g., 5px, 1em).
Examples
Incorrect Usage
This is the incorrect way that leads to the validation error:
<style>
.example {
border-radius: none; /* Invalid value */
}
</style>
Correct Usage
Here are correct alternatives:
Option 1: No Border Radius
<style>
.example {
border-radius: 0; /* Valid value for no rounded corners */
}
</style>
Option 2: Specify a Border Radius
<style>
.example {
border-radius: 5px; /* Valid value for rounded corners */
}
</style>
Conclusion
Replace border-radius: none; with either border-radius: 0; for no rounded corners or an appropriate pixel/em value for adding rounded corners. This will resolve the W3C Validator issue and ensure your CSS is compliant with the standards.
This W3C Validator issue indicates that the value assigned to the CSS border property is invalid. The border property in CSS is used to specify the width, style, and color of an element’s border, and these values must be appropriately defined.
To resolve this issue, make sure you define the border property using valid values for border width, border style, and border color. Below is the correct syntax for setting a border:
selector {
border: 1px solid black; /* width, style, color */
}
If you inadvertently set the border property to an incorrect or undefined value, such as undefined, it will trigger this validation issue.
Incorrect Example:
<div style="border: undefined;"></div> <!-- This will cause a validation error -->
Correct Example:
To correct this, replace undefined with a valid CSS border definition. For example:
<div style="border: 1px solid black;"></div>
Breakdown:
- 1px is the border width.
- solid is the border style.
- black is the border color.
More Examples:
Here are a few more valid examples with different border styles:
-
Dotted border:
<div style="border: 2px dotted red;"></div>
-
Dashed border:
<div style="border: 3px dashed blue;"></div>
-
Double border:
<div style="border: 4px double green;"></div>
Additionally, you can define border properties separately:
selector {
border-width: 1px;
border-style: solid;
border-color: black;
}
Summary:
Ensure your border property has valid width, style, and color values. Avoid using placeholders like undefined in your CSS properties. This will resolve the W3C Validator issue and render your border as expected in your HTML document.