Using calc() with tables

Question

I'm trying to get a table with fixed-width tds and variable-width tds.

Im using the CSS calc() function, but somehow it seems like I can't use % in tables.

So that is what I have so far:

<table border="0" style="width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;">
    <tr style="width:100%">
        <td style="width:30px;">1</td> <!--Fixed width-->
        <td style="width: calc( (100% - 230px) / 100 * 40);">Title</td> <!--Width should be 40% of the remaining space-->
        <td style="width: calc( (100% - 230px) / 100 * 40);">Interpret</td> <!--Width should be 40% of the remaining space-->
        <td style="width: calc( (100% - 230px) / 100 * 20);">Album</td> <!--Width should be 20% of the remaining space-->
        <td style="width:80px;">Year</td><!--Fixed width-->
        <td style="width:180px;">YouTube</td><!--Fixed width-->
    </tr>
</table>

How I see it, it should work, but it isn't.

Does anybody know how to solve this? Or maybe has an other suggestion how I could reach my goal?

Answer 1

Tables have difficult rules about distributing the space of the columns because they distribute space dependent on the content of the cells by default. Calc (atm) just wont work with that.

What you can do however is to set the table-layout attribute for the table to force the child td elements to get the exact width you declared. For this to work you also need a width (100% works) on the table.

table{
   table-layout:fixed; /* this keeps your columns with at the defined width */
   width: 100%;        /* a width must be specified */

   display: table;     /* required for table-layout to be used 
                          (since this is the default value it is normally not necessary;
                          just included for completeness) */
}

and then use plain percentages on the remaining columns.

td.title, td.interpret{
    width:40%;
}
td.album{
    width:20%;
}

After using up the space for the fixed width columns, the remaining space is distributed between the columns with relative width.

For this to work you need the default display type display: table (as opposed to say, display: block). This however means you can no longer have a height (including min-height and max-height) for the table.

See your modified Example.