i totally understand the box model. this question is more about trying to pin down a semantic methodology regarding when to use margins and when to use padding.
here is a typical example,
first, in plain English:
- situation: we have a container div, inside of which there is a paragraph element.
goal: to have a 12px space between the inside of the div and the outside of the paragraph.
option a) apply 12px of padding to the container div
- option b) apply 12px margins to the paragraph element
or, if you prefer, HTML:
<div id="container">
<p>Hello World!</p>
</div>
and, CSS:
option a)
div#container {padding: 12px;}
option b)
p {margin: 12px;}
Cheers!
Jon