Adjusting the columns of two tables when one table is held in place

My dilemma involves managing two tables:

In the scenario, Table 1 remains fixed in place serving as a header that is always visible. Meanwhile, Table 2 acts as the data table.

I am not a fan of fixed widths for my tables; I prefer them to dynamically adjust based on content. To achieve this flexibility, and considering the range of columns I may have (anywhere from 1 to 40), I cannot use a fixed width approach.

The issue lies in the misalignment of the table columns - they are nowhere near being properly aligned!?

Here is an overview of the HTML structure:

<!-- The Header Table with Fixed Position -->
<table class="table table-bordered table-condensed navbar navbar-fixed-top nowrap header">
    <tr>
        <td><input type="text" size="1" /></td>
        <td><input type="text" size="1" /></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Field 1</td>
        <td>Field 2</td>
    </tr>
</table>

<!-- The Data Table -->
<table class="table table-bordered table-hover table-condensed nowrap data">
    <tr>
        <td>Data</td>
        <td>Data</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>Data</td>
        <td>Data</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td> .... [CUT]
</table>

Now, here's the Javascript/jQuery logic:

// Determining the final layout for the table (the widest column takes precedence)
var arrLayout = [];

// Retrieving the column widths from the first row of the "header" table
$(".header tr:first").find("td").each(function() {
    var index = $(this).index();
    var width = $(this).width();
    arrLayout[index] = width;
});

// Obtaining the column widths from the first row of the "data" table
$(".data tr:first").find("td").each(function() {
    var index = $(this).index();
    var width = $(this).width();
    // Overriding the final layout if a larger column is found
    if(width > arrLayout[index]) {
        arrLayout[index] = width;
    }
});

// Calculating the total table width
var widthSum = 0;
for(var i=0; i < arrLayout.length; i++) {
    widthSum += arrLayout[i];
}

// Applying the newly calculated width to both tables        
$(".header").width(widthSum);
$(".data").width(widthSum);

// Adjusting the widths of the columns in both tables
for(var i=0; i < arrLayout.length; i++) {
    $(".header tr:first td:eq("+i+")").width(arrLayout[i]);
    $(".data tr:first td:eq("+i+")").width(arrLayout[i]);
}

Take a look at the Fiddle demo. Make sure to press ENTER in one of the search boxes to see the new widths in action.

Any assistance on how to properly align the columns across the two tables would be greatly appreciated!

Answer №1

I've made some updates to the fiddle in order to ensure proper functionality. You can view the updated version here.

The key changes involve adjusting the table width. Previously, the table had a width of 100%, causing columns to expand and contract unpredictably. By setting a minimum width using

$(elem).css({"min-width":width});
, we were able to control column size more effectively.

Additionally, I addressed an issue with box-sizing by factoring in margin widths when calculating total and individual column widths. This was necessary due to the td's use of the border-box model.

var width = $(this).outerWidth(true);

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