how to freeze table header using javascript

Question

I have table with 200 rows. The first row has headings(th tag). While i am scrolling down the heading is to be fixed and visible to all rows. Any help?

Thank You

Answer 1

Easiest answer, check this out -> http://www.imaputz.com/cssStuff/bigFourVersion.html

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One caveat: Does not work for IE 7-9 (Does work for 6 and 10). If you need a solution for 7-9, try jQuery Scrollable Table Plugin. You can even set it up to only use the JS for IE versions 7-9 by placing the javascript call for it inside IE if comments. Then you'd know anyone using a better browser would be using pure CSS (faster) and you'd have a solution for those using crap ... i mean IE 7,8, or 9.

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It basically has to do with the CSS. One key is setting table-body to display: block. Another issue is going to be in dealing with fixed widths. Just check it out. It's REALLY easy to copy that example.

Really not much more I can say! This example is PURE CSS, no JS!

jsFiddle

CSS

/* define height and width of scrollable area. Add 16px to width for scrollbar          */
div.tableContainer {
    clear: both;
    border: 1px solid #963;
    height: 285px;
    overflow: auto;
    width: 756px
}

/* Reset overflow value to hidden for all non-IE browsers. */
html>body div.tableContainer {
    overflow: hidden;
    width: 756px
}

/* define width of table. IE browsers only                 */
div.tableContainer table {
    float: left;
    width: 740px
}

/* define width of table. Add 16px to width for scrollbar.           */
/* All other non-IE browsers.                                        */
html>body div.tableContainer table {
    width: 756px
}

/* set table header to a fixed position. WinIE 6.x only                                       */
/* In WinIE 6.x, any element with a position property set to relative and is a child of       */
/* an element that has an overflow property set, the relative value translates into fixed.    */
/* Ex: parent element DIV with a class of tableContainer has an overflow property set to auto */
thead.fixedHeader tr {
    position: relative
}

/* set THEAD element to have block level attributes. All other non-IE browsers            */
/* this enables overflow to work on TBODY element. All other non-IE, non-Mozilla browsers */
html>body thead.fixedHeader tr {
    display: block
}

/* make the TH elements pretty */
thead.fixedHeader th {
    background: #C96;
    border-left: 1px solid #EB8;
    border-right: 1px solid #B74;
    border-top: 1px solid #EB8;
    font-weight: normal;
    padding: 4px 3px;
    text-align: left
}

/* make the A elements pretty. makes for nice clickable headers                */
thead.fixedHeader a, thead.fixedHeader a:link, thead.fixedHeader a:visited {
    color: #FFF;
    display: block;
    text-decoration: none;
    width: 100%
}

/* make the A elements pretty. makes for nice clickable headers                */
/* WARNING: swapping the background on hover may cause problems in WinIE 6.x   */
thead.fixedHeader a:hover {
    color: #FFF;
    display: block;
    text-decoration: underline;
    width: 100%
}

/* define the table content to be scrollable                                              */
/* set TBODY element to have block level attributes. All other non-IE browsers            */
/* this enables overflow to work on TBODY element. All other non-IE, non-Mozilla browsers */
/* induced side effect is that child TDs no longer accept width: auto                     */
html>body tbody.scrollContent {
    display: block;
    height: 262px;
    overflow: auto;
    width: 100%
}

/* make TD elements pretty. Provide alternating classes for striping the table */
/* http://www.alistapart.com/articles/zebratables/                             */
tbody.scrollContent td, tbody.scrollContent tr.normalRow td {
    background: #FFF;
    border-bottom: none;
    border-left: none;
    border-right: 1px solid #CCC;
    border-top: 1px solid #DDD;
    padding: 2px 3px 3px 4px
}

tbody.scrollContent tr.alternateRow td {
    background: #EEE;
    border-bottom: none;
    border-left: none;
    border-right: 1px solid #CCC;
    border-top: 1px solid #DDD;
    padding: 2px 3px 3px 4px
}

/* define width of TH elements: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively.          */
/* Add 16px to last TH for scrollbar padding. All other non-IE browsers. */
/* http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-CSS2/selector.html#adjacent-selectors        */
html>body thead.fixedHeader th {
    width: 200px
}

html>body thead.fixedHeader th + th {
    width: 240px
}

html>body thead.fixedHeader th + th + th {
    width: 316px
}

/* define width of TD elements: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively.          */
/* All other non-IE browsers.                                            */
/* http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-CSS2/selector.html#adjacent-selectors        */
html>body tbody.scrollContent td {
    width: 200px
}

html>body tbody.scrollContent td + td {
    width: 240px
}

html>body tbody.scrollContent td + td + td {
    width: 300px
}

HTML

<div id="tableContainer" class="tableContainer">
    <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="scrollTable">
        <thead class="fixedHeader">
            <tr>
                <th><a href="#">Header 1</a></th>
                <th><a href="#">Header 2</a></th>
                <th><a href="#">Header 3</a></th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody class="scrollContent">
            <tr>
                <td>Cell Content 1</td>
                <td>Cell Content 2</td>
                <td>Cell Content 3</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>More Cell Content 1</td>
                <td>More Cell Content 2</td>
                <td>More Cell Content 3</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Even More Cell Content 1</td>
                <td>Even More Cell Content 2</td>
                <td>Even More Cell Content 3</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>And Repeat 1</td>
                <td>And Repeat 2</td>
                <td>And Repeat 3</td>
            </tr>
            ...
            ...
            ...
            <tr>
                <td>End of Cell Content 1</td>
                <td>End of Cell Content 2</td>
                <td>End of Cell Content 3</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>
</div>