How do you read CSS???

[leannenicole 0]

I'm using Firebug to try and identify discrete parts of sites and their formatting, but I'm having an incredibly hard time "reading" CSS. I'm somewhat html literate, but it is really hard to identify which parts of sites the code is referring to, and what formatting is applied - even something as simple as the top nav in my own site, www.solarnetworksolutions.com/staging. Is there any good guide out there to help translate CSS into plain english? Or is it just hours of trial and error (and frustration)?

[Simon 248]

There are probably thousands of tutorials about css around the internet, you really need to install `firebug` for firefox, then you simply select the area and the plugin will show you the css selector for that area.

[leannenicole 0]

I've downloaded it and played it around with it a lot, but it's really not as simple as "just highlight something and see the CSS for it". For each item I highlight it seems there are hundreds of lines of settings (I'm looking in the CSS window on the right side), and I try to edit padding, etc. for many of them without any effect. Just curious if anyone has found a guide that works and made this process a little easier.

[kastelic 6]

Start by editing the very top rule. That should be the one that targets the element most directly. You can also try Chrome's built-in Inspector which may you may find easier to use.