where is there a list of all the CSS classes and IDs used internally by drupal

Thanks for note heine, but my main question is about locating a list of the CSS classes and IDs used by drupal?

Is there a comprehensive list of all the CSS selectors - classes and IDs - used by drupal to manage formatting - documented anywhere - with the relationship between class / ID and visual elements on given pages?

For example, is the set of A: styles a class or ID specific to breadcrumbs? As in the actual example below - the text-color in the .breadcrumb class applies to the » between each link, but it does not apply to the links in the breadcrumb chain, which apparently inherent, but from what ancestor? Wouldn't it have been better for drupal internally to have defined a more granular and specific set of CSS ( classes / ID selectors ) for such visual elements?

------
excerpt output from actual drupal page:

<div class="breadcrumb"><a href="">Home</a> » <a href="user">user account</a></div>

----

While some of this is visible with the firefox developer's toolbar, that does reveal the whole story....

I just discovered that the problem - the lack of documentation - is noted in the following article - as quoted below.

http://drupal.org/node/7272

Document the stylesheet capabilities of the default theme
Extensively document the tags, and possible designs that can be achieved by applying css to the default theme. Because this theme is being bred to be the starting point for most designers, the existing stylesheet framework will hopefully deliver a lot of value to them , in that they will likely already have memorized the class and id names of all the main elements. A forum dedicated to little snippets of CSS for customization would also help a lot of users apply their own 'fingerprint' on their sites. Moveable type already has such a framework in place, and along with decent documentation and support channels, the stylesheet capabilities will likely be able to satisfy most of the Drupal customization requirements from your (a bit more experienced) average user.

Well - "the stylesheet capabilities will likely be able to satisfy most" is not quite true since the implementation of styles internally to drupal is incomplete, not granular enough and therefore inadequate. An ID based system would be great. It could even have a taxonomy within the drupal database. It seems like a great design would have all the layout definition in the database, which would make deisgn drupal admin pages to edit it all much more straightforward. It seems like every single visual aspect of drupal should have defining CSS in the drupal database. The system would no longer need external CSS files at all and could depend entirely on inline CSS generated from database output when building its pages for display. If the content can ceom from the database - isn't it logical that they layout and styling should be stored in and come from the database too? There is even a module that does something like this for the contents of nodes - but it only applies to the contents of the nodes - not their formatting containers.

Well I guess I will have to build my own document as I learn everything, helped along by the firefox dev toolbar and inspiration.

MEANWHILE AN APPROACH TO BREADCRUMB CUSTOMIZATION:

The concept implemented below uses descendant selector syntax to customize the otherwise generic list items that comprise the breadcrumb list.

( I have the property values blank
- so that you can use your imagination )

/* DIV container */
.breadcrumb
{
border-top:
border-bottom:
padding:
margin:
color: /* applies only to the >> character between links*/
font-size:
font-weight:
height:
/* additional properties desired */
}

/* the following styles employ descendant syntax to capture the links in breadcrumbs */
.breadcrumb a:link
{
color:
background:
}

.breadcrumb a:visited
{
color:
background:
}

.breadcrumb a:hover
{
color:
background:
}

.breadcrumb a:active
{
color:
background:
}

/* the css above enables specific attributes for each aspect of the breadcrumb list */

1) you missed the point of my original question and your replies do not address the problem that it raises.

2) localization is NOT the primary issue within the primary question I asked. My question is deeper. I want varying terms for varying node types.

ALSO:

Drupal uses a set of very STANDARD internal selector names for almost everything it outputs. My reply above about how to customize the breadcrumbs demonstrates some of drupal's internal logic in this regard.

{
see my posts at:
http://drupal.org/node/47205
http://drupal.org/node/47205#comment-88757
http://drupal.org/node/47205#comment-88768
}

By way of example:

the standard drupal node DIVs have selector names like:

.main-content.node
.main-content.sticky
(etc.)

each drupal standard child component of a page/node has CSS selectors like - e.g.:

.main-content.node.title
.main-content.node.info
.main-content.node.links
.main-content.node.terms
.main-content.node.content
( etc. )

Plus other generic elements, like the H2 and A:link A:hover generics, that are descendants can be 'caught' by creating descendant selector descriptions as in my breadcrumb customization example (elsewhere in this forum).

The real issue is that people should not have to spend HOURS - DAYS - WEEKS - reinventing this CSS selector/class/ID discovery wheel for all the standard internal drupal classes and IDs - when it list should have been part of the original architectural design documents given to every drupal developer in the first place!

IN ANY EVENT:

Spritely 'lil ole' missy me - sprite - I have been building a complete listing of all those internal classes and IDs as I progress toward developing my own master template creation tools.

Even if somebody else thinks everybody should re-invent that wheel over and over and over again by trial and error
- I personally intend to do it only once:
.... thank you very much.