Setting table column width

Html Problem Overview

I've got a simple table that is used for an inbox as follows:

<table border="1">
     <tr>
		<th>From</th>
		<th>Subject</th>
		<th>Date</th>
	</tr>
</table>

How do I set the width so the From and Date are 15% of the page width and the Subject is 70%. I also want the table to take up the whole page width.

Html Solutions

Solution 1 - Html

<table style="width: 100%">
    <colgroup>
       <col span="1" style="width: 15%;">
       <col span="1" style="width: 70%;">
       <col span="1" style="width: 15%;">
    </colgroup>
    
    
    
    <!-- Put <thead>, <tbody>, and <tr>'s here! -->
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td style="background-color: #777">15%</td>
            <td style="background-color: #aaa">70%</td>
            <td style="background-color: #777">15%</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

Solution 2 - Html

table {
  width: 100%;
  border: 1px solid #000;
}
th.from, th.date {
  width: 15%
}
th.subject {
  width: 70%; /* Not necessary, since only 70% width remains */
}

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th class="from">From</th>
      <th class="subject">Subject</th>
      <th class="date">Date</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>[from]</td>
      <td>[subject]</td>
      <td>[date]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

The best practice is to keep your HTML and CSS separate for less code duplication, and for separation of concerns (HTML for structure and semantics, and CSS for presentation).

Note that, for this to work in older versions of Internet Explorer, you may have to give your table a specific width (e.g., 900px). That browser has some problems rendering an element with percentage dimensions if its wrapper doesn't have exact dimensions.

Solution 3 - Html

Use the CSS below, the first declaration will ensure your table sticks to the widths you provide (you'll need to add the classes in your HTML):

table{
  table-layout:fixed;
}
th.from, th.date {
  width: 15%;
}
th.subject{
  width: 70%;
}

Solution 4 - Html

Alternative way with just one class while keeping your styles in a CSS file, which even works in IE7:

<table class="mytable">
	<tr>
		<th>From</th>
		<th>Subject</th>
		<th>Date</th>
	</tr>
</table>
<style>
    .mytable td, .mytable th { width:15%; }
    .mytable td + td, .mytable th + th { width:70%; }
    .mytable td + td + td, .mytable th + th + th { width:15%; }
</style>

More recently, you can also use the nth-child() selector from CSS3 (IE9+), where you'd just put the nr. of the respective column into the parenthesis instead of stringing them together with the adjacent selector. Like this, for example:

<style>
    .mytable tr > *:nth-child(1) { width:15%; }
    .mytable tr > *:nth-child(2) { width:70%; }
    .mytable tr > *:nth-child(3) { width:15%; }
</style>

Solution 5 - Html

These are my two suggestions.

Using classes. There is no need to specify width of the two other columns as they will be set to 15% each automatically by the browser.

 table { table-layout: fixed; }
 .subject { width: 70%; }

 <table>
   <tr>
     <th>From</th>
     <th class="subject">Subject</th>
     <th>Date</th>
   </tr>
 </table>

Without using classes. Three different methods but the result is identical.

<!-- begin snippet: js hide: false -->

<!-- language: lang-css -->

    table { table-layout: fixed; }
    th+th { width: 70%; }
    th+th+th { width: 15%; }

<!-- language: lang-html -->

    <table>
      <tr>
        <th>From</th>
        <th>Subject</th>
        <th>Date</th>
      </tr>
    </table>

<!-- end snippet -->

<!-- begin snippet: js hide: false -->

<!-- language: lang-css -->

    table { table-layout: fixed; }
    th:nth-of-type(2) { width: 70%; }

<!-- language: lang-html -->

    <table>
      <tr>
        <th>From</th>
        <th>Subject</th>
        <th>Date</th>
      </tr>
    </table>

<!-- end snippet -->

c) This one is my favourite. Same as b) but with better browser support.

<!-- begin snippet: js hide: false -->

<!-- language: lang-css -->

    table { table-layout: fixed; }
    th:first-child+th { width: 70%; }

<!-- language: lang-html -->

    <table>
      <tr>
        <th>From</th>
        <th>Subject</th>
        <th>Date</th>
      </tr>
    </table>

<!-- end snippet -->

Solution 6 - Html

Add colgroup after your table tag. Define width and number of columns here, and add the tbody tag. Put your tr inside of tbody.

<table>
    <colgroup>
       <col span="1" style="width: 30%;">
       <col span="1" style="width: 70%;">
    </colgroup>
    
    
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>First column</td>
            <td>Second column</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

Solution 7 - Html

Depending on your body (or the div which is wrapping your table) 'settings' you should be able to do this:

body {
  width: 98%;
}

table {
  width: 100%;
}


th {
  border: 1px solid black;
}


th.From, th.Date {
  width: 15%;
}

th.Date {
  width: 70%;
}


<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th class="From">From</th>
      <th class="Subject">Subject</th>
      <th class="Date">Date</th>
    </tr>
   </thead>
   <tbody>
     <tr>
       <td>Me</td>
       <td>Your question</td>
       <td>5/30/2009 2:41:40 AM UTC</td>
     </tr>
   </tbody>
</table>

Demo

Solution 8 - Html

Try this instead.

<table style="width: 100%">
    <tr>
        <th style="width: 20%">
           column 1
        </th>
        <th style="width: 40%">
           column 2
        </th>
        <th style="width: 40%">
           column 3
        </th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td style="width: 20%">
           value 1
        </td>
        <td style="width: 40%">
           value 2
        </td>
        <td style="width: 40%">
           value 3
        </td>
    </tr>
</table>

Solution 9 - Html

    table { table-layout: fixed; }
    .subject { width: 70%; }

    <table>
      <tr>
        <th>From</th>
        <th class="subject">Subject</th>
        <th>Date</th>
      </tr>
    </table>

Solution 10 - Html

Here's another minimal way to do it in CSS that works even in older browsers that do not support :nth-child and the like selectors: http://jsfiddle.net/3wZWt/.

HTML:

<table>
    <tr>
        <th>From</th>
        <th>Subject</th>
        <th>Date</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Dmitriy</td>
        <td>Learning CSS</td>
        <td>7/5/2014</td>
    </tr>
</table>

CSS:

table {
    border-collapse: collapse;
    width: 100%;
}

tr > * {
    border: 1px solid #000;
}

tr > th + th {
    width: 70%;
}

tr > th + th + th {
    width: 15%;
}

Solution 11 - Html

<table>
  <col width="130">
  <col width="80">
  <tr>
    <th>Month</th>
    <th>Savings</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>January</td>
    <td>$100</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>February</td>
    <td>$80</td>
  </tr>
</table>