Table scroll with HTML and CSS

Table with Fixed Header

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="325">
  <tr>
    <td>
       <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" border="1" width="300" >
         <tr style="color:white;background-color:grey">
            <th>Header 1</th>
            <th>Header 2</th>
         </tr>
       </table>
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
       <div style="width:320px; height:80px; overflow:auto;">
         <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" border="1" width="300" >
           <tr>
             <td>new item</td>
             <td>new item</td>
           </tr>
           <tr>
             <td>new item</td>
             <td>new item</td>
           </tr>
              <tr>
             <td>new item</td>
             <td>new item</td>
           </tr>
              <tr>
             <td>new item</td>
             <td>new item</td>
           </tr>
              <tr>
             <td>new item</td>
             <td>new item</td>
           </tr>
              <tr>
             <td>new item</td>
             <td>new item</td>
           </tr>
              <tr>
             <td>new item</td>
             <td>new item</td>
           </tr>
              <tr>
             <td>new item</td>
             <td>new item</td>
           </tr>
              <tr>
             <td>new item</td>
             <td>new item</td>
           </tr>
              <tr>
             <td>new item</td>
             <td>new item</td>
           </tr>
         </table>  
       </div>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>

Result

Demo Image

This is working in all browser

Demo jsfiddle http://jsfiddle.net/nyCKE/6302/


Late answer, another idea, but very short.

  1. put the contents of header cells into div
  2. fix the header contents, see CSS
table  { margin-top:  20px; display: inline-block; overflow: auto; }
th div { margin-top: -20px; position: absolute; }

Note that it is possible to display table as inline-block due to anonymous table objects:

"missing" [in HTML table tree structure] elements must be assumed in order for the table model to work. Any table element will automatically generate necessary anonymous table objects around itself.

/* scrolltable rules */
table  { margin-top:  20px; display: inline-block; overflow: auto; }
th div { margin-top: -20px; position: absolute; }

/* design */
table { border-collapse: collapse; }
tr:nth-child(even) { background: #EEE; }
<table style="height: 150px">
  <tr> <th><div>first</div> <th><div>second</div>
  <tr> <td>foo <td>bar
  <tr> <td>foo foo foo foo foo <td>bar
  <tr> <td>foo <td>bar
  <tr> <td>foo <td>bar bar bar
  <tr> <td>foo <td>bar
  <tr> <td>foo <td>bar
  <tr> <td>foo <td>bar
  <tr> <td>foo <td>bar
  <tr> <td>foo <td>bar
  <tr> <td>foo <td>bar
  <tr> <td>foo <td>bar
  <tr> <td>foo <td>bar
  <tr> <td>foo <td>bar
  <tr> <td>foo <td>bar
</table>

As of 2016

The proper way to achieve this is position: sticky - see the demo in the link.