CSS-Only Sticky Table Headers In Chrome

CssGoogle ChromeSass

Css Problem Overview


I have the following Sass snippet in which I want the <thead> to float as the table scrolls. This works properly in Safari, but not in Chrome Version 58.0.3029.110 (64-bit).

I know that Chrome has had on-again-off-again support for sticky, and currently supports it, but is it final? Is this a Chrome bug or do I need a different solution? (I prefer the CSS approach rather than Javascript because it's more performant.)

.table {
  thead {
    background: white;
    position: sticky;
    top: 0;
    z-index: 10;
  }
}

Css Solutions


Solution 1 - Css

position: sticky doesn't work with some table elements (thead/tr) in Chrome. You can move sticky to tds/ths of tr you need to be sticky. Like this:

.table {
  thead tr:nth-child(1) th{
    background: white;
    position: sticky;
    top: 0;
    z-index: 10;
  }
}

Also this will work.

.table {
    position: sticky;
    top: 0;
    z-index: 10;
}

You can move header to separate layout. For example:

<table class="table">
    <thead>
    <tr>
        <th>1</th>
        <th>2</th>
        <th>3</th>
        <th>4</th>
    </tr>
    </thead>
</table>
<table>
    <tbody>
    <tr>
        <td>1</td>
        <td>2</td>
        <td>3</td>
        <td>4</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>1</td>
        <td>2</td>
        <td>3</td>
        <td>4</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>1</td>
        <td>2</td>
        <td>3</td>
        <td>4</td>
    </tr>
</table>

Solution 2 - Css

For somebody, who is still looking for a solution and isn't satisfied with the accepted one.

  1. Use sticky-top class on th element.

  2. With own class

th.sticky-header {
  position: sticky;
  top: 0;
  z-index: 10;
  /*To not have transparent background.
  background-color: white;*/
}

<table class="table">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th class="sticky-header">1</th>
      <th class="sticky-header">2</th>
      <th class="sticky-header">3</th>
      <th class="sticky-header">4</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>1</td>
      <td>2</td>
      <td>3</td>
      <td>4</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1</td>
      <td>2</td>
      <td>3</td>
      <td>4</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1</td>
      <td>2</td>
      <td>3</td>
      <td>4</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Solution 3 - Css

You set the sticky position on the header table-cell instead of table-row.

.td.header {
  position: sticky;
  top:0px;
}

Check out this jsfiddle for simple example.

Solution 4 - Css

https://jsfiddle.net/y9cwnb81/4/

div.table {
  width: 100%;
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr;
  grid-template-rows: 1fr auto;
  
  grid-template-areas:
    "header header header"
    "content content content";
}

.header {
  grid: 1fr/1fr;
}

.content {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr;
  grid-template-rows: auto;
  grid-area: content;
  height: 200px;
  overflow-y: scroll;
}

.content div {
  grid: auto-flow 1fr / repeat(auto-fill);
}

<!-- Here is the table code -->

<div class="table">
  <div class="header">Name</div>
  <div class="header">Color</div>
  <div class="header">Description</div>
  <div class="content">
    <div>Apple</div>
    <div>Red</div>
    <div>These are red asd,mas, da,msnd asndm,asndm,asndbansbdansmbdmnasbd.</div>

    <div>Apple</div>
    <div>Red</div>
    <div>These are red asd.</div>

    <div>Apple</div>
    <div>Red</div>
    <div>These are red asd.</div>

    <div>Apple</div>
    <div>Red</div>
    <div>These are red asd.</div>

    <div>Apple</div>
    <div>Red</div>
    <div>These are red asd.</div>

    <div>Apple</div>
    <div>Red</div>
    <div>These are red asd.</div>

    <div>Apple</div>
    <div>Red</div>
    <div>These are red asd.</div>

    <div>Apple</div>
    <div>Red</div>
    <div>These are red asd.</div>

    <div>Apple</div>
    <div>Red</div>
    <div>These are red asd.</div>

    <div>Apple</div>
    <div>Red</div>
    <div>These are red asd.</div>

    <div>Apple</div>
    <div>Red</div>
    <div>These are red asd.</div>
  </div>
</div>

Here is an example using CSS GRID to have sticky headers only with CSS, no javascript required.

Attributions

All content for this solution is sourced from the original question on Stackoverflow.

The content on this page is licensed under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license.

Content TypeOriginal AuthorOriginal Content on Stackoverflow
QuestionDonnieView Question on Stackoverflow
Solution 1 - CssKirill MatrosovView Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 2 - CssTomsguView Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 3 - CssCarCarView Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 4 - CssDanilo CastroView Answer on Stackoverflow