Table with Fixed Header and First Column

A simple method of fixing the header and first column of a table using CSS and a few lines of JQuery, feel free to comment, make suggestions or use the code in your own projects

by Abinash Shaw

HTML

<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.12.2/jquery.min.js"></script>
<body>
  <table>
    <thead>
      <tr>
        <th>Name</th>
        <th>Town</th>
        <th>County</th>
        <th>Age</th>
        <th>Profession</th>
        <th>Anual Income</th>
        <th>Matital Status</th>
        <th>Children</th>
      </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
      <tr>
        <td>John Smith</td>
        <td>Macelsfield</td>
        <td>Cheshire</td>
        <td>52</td>
        <td>Brewer</td>
        <td>£47,000</td>
        <td>Married</td>
        <td>2</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Jenny Jones</td>
        <td>Threlkeld</td>
        <td>Cumbria</td>
        <td>34</td>
        <td>Shepherdess</td>
        <td>£28,000</td>
        <td>Single</td>
        <td>0</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Peter Frampton</td>
        <td>Avebury</td>
        <td>Wiltshire</td>
        <td>57</td>
        <td>Musician</td>
        <td>£124,000</td>
        <td>Married</td>
        <td>4</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Simon King</td>
        <td>Malvern</td>
        <td>Worchestershire</td>
        <td>48</td>
        <td>Naturalist</td>
        <td>£65,000</td>
        <td>Married</td>
        <td>2</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Lucy Diamond</td>
        <td>St Albans</td>
        <td>Hertfordshire</td>
        <td>67</td>
        <td>Pharmasist</td>
        <td>Retired</td>
        <td>Married</td>
        <td>3</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Austin Stevenson</td>
        <td>Edinburgh</td>
        <td>Lothian </td>
        <td>36</td>
        <td>Vigilante</td>
        <td>£86,000</td>
        <td>Single</td>
        <td>Unknown</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Wilma Rubble</td>
        <td>Bedford</td>
        <td>Bedfordshire</td>
        <td>43</td>
        <td>Housewife</td>
        <td>N/A</td>
        <td>Married</td>
        <td>1</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Kat Dibble</td>
       ...

CSS

table {
  position: relative;
  width: 700px;
  background-color: #aaa;
  overflow: hidden;
  border-collapse: collapse;
}


/*thead*/
thead {
  position: relative;
  display: block; /*seperates the header from the body allowing it to be positioned*/
  width: 700px;
  overflow: visible;
}

thead th {
  background-color: #99a;
    min-width: 120px;
    height: 36px;
    min-height: 36px;
    border: 1px solid #222;
}

thead th:nth-child(1) {/*first cell in the header*/
    position: relative;
    display: block;
    background-color: #88b;
}

tbody tr td:nth-child(2) {
    margin-left: 124px;
    display: block;
}


/*tbody*/
tbody {
    display: block;
    width: 700px;
    height: 239px;
    overflow-y: auto;
}

tbody td {
    background-color: #bbc;
    min-width: 120px;
    border: 1px solid #222;
    height: 36px;
    min-height: 36px;
}

tbody tr td:nth-child(1) {  /*the first cell in each tr*/
    position: absolute;
    display: inline-block;
    background-color: #99a;
}