Possible to have a floating horizontal scrollbar?

Question

I have a site with a large table on it, It is very high and because of this to get to the horizontal scroll bar I have to scroll to the bottom of the page.

Is there anyway to have the horizontal scroll bar floating at the bottom of the window and always accessible without having to scroll to the bottom of the webpage first?

Solution 1

I am posting the answer, because i don't have enough reputation.

try the jquery.ba-floatingscrollbar.js it may help you

here is the github link, and jsfiddle example for the js

/*!
 * jQuery Floating Scrollbar - v0.4 - 02/28/2011
 * http://benalman.com/
 * 
 * Copyright (c) 2011 "Cowboy" Ben Alman
 * Dual licensed under the MIT and GPL licenses.
 * http://benalman.com/about/license/
 */

(function($){
  var // A few reused jQuery objects.
      win = $(this),
      html = $('html'),

      // All the elements being monitored.
      elems = $([]),

      // The current element.
      current,

      // The previous current element.
      previous,

      // Create the floating scrollbar.
      scroller = $('<div id="floating-scrollbar"><div/></div>'),
      scrollerInner = scroller.children();

  // Initialize the floating scrollbar.
  scroller
    .hide()
    .css({
      position: 'fixed',
      bottom: 0,
      height: '30px',
      overflowX: 'auto',
      overflowY: 'hidden'
    })
    .scroll(function() {
      // If there's a current element, set its scroll appropriately.
      current && current.scrollLeft(scroller.scrollLeft())
    });

  scrollerInner.css({
    border: '1px solid #fff',
    opacity: 0.01
  });

  // Call on elements to monitor their position and scrollness. Pass `false` to
  // stop monitoring those elements.
  $.fn.floatingScrollbar = function( state ) {
    if ( state === false ) {
      // Remove these elements from the list.
      elems = elems.not(this);
      // Stop monitoring elements for scroll.
      this.unbind('scroll', scrollCurrent);
      if ( !elems.length ) {
        // No elements remain, so detach scroller and unbind events.
        scroller.detach();
        win.unbind('resize scroll', update);
      }
    } else if ( this.length ) {
      // Don't assume the set is non-empty!
      if ( !elems.length ) {
        // Adding elements for the first time, so bind events.
        win.resize(update).scroll(update);
      }
      // Add these elements to the list.
      elems = elems.add(this);
    }
    // Update.
    update();
    // Make chainable.
    return this;
  };

  // Call this to force an update, for instance, if elements were inserted into
  // the DOM before monitored elements, changing their vertical position.
  $.floatingScrollbarUpdate = update;

  // Hide or show the floating scrollbar.
  function setState( state ) {
    scroller.toggle(!!state);
  }

  // Sync floating scrollbar if element content is scrolled.
  function scrollCurrent() {
    current && scroller.scrollLeft(current.scrollLeft())
  }

  // This is called on window scroll or resize, or when elements are added or
  // removed from the internal elems list.
  function update() {
    previous = current;
    current = null;

    // Find the first element whose content is visible, but whose bottom is
    // below the viewport.
    elems.each(function(){
      var elem = $(this),
          top = elem.offset().top,
          bottom = top + elem.height(),
          viewportBottom = win.scrollTop() + win.height(),
          topOffset = 30;

      if ( top + topOffset < viewportBottom && bottom > viewportBottom ) {
        current = elem;
        return false;
      }
    });

    // Abort if no elements were found.
    if ( !current ) { setState(); return; }

    // Test to see if the current element has a scrollbar.
    var scroll = current.scrollLeft(),
        scrollMax = current.scrollLeft(90019001).scrollLeft(),
        widthOuter = current.innerWidth(),
        widthInner = widthOuter + scrollMax;

    current.scrollLeft(scroll);

    // Abort if the element doesn't have a scrollbar.
    if ( widthInner <= widthOuter ) { setState(); return; }

    // Show the floating scrollbar.
    setState(true);

    // Sync floating scrollbar if element content is scrolled.
    if ( !previous || previous[0] !== current[0] ) {
      previous && previous.unbind('scroll', scrollCurrent);
      current.scroll(scrollCurrent).after(scroller);
    }

    // Adjust the floating scrollbar as-necessary.
    scroller
      .css({
        left: current.offset().left - win.scrollLeft(),
        width: widthOuter
      })
      .scrollLeft(scroll);

    scrollerInner.width(widthInner);
  }

})(jQuery);

$(function() {
  $('.sh .highlight, .sample').floatingScrollbar();
});

Solution 2

There is a nice jQuery plugin floatingscroll which takes care of this.

Example:

$(document).ready(function () {
    $(".spacious-container").floatingScroll();
});

With a demo here

Solution 3

R. Oosterholt's answer is beautiful and great. But as I am noob, it kill my 4 hour to make it working. To save other's time: you have to put following style on div:

.spacious-container {
    overflow: auto;
    width: 100%;
}

And then call

$(document).ready(function () {
    $(".spacious-container").floatingScroll();
});

Note: attachScroll() is old method and will remove in future release.

Plugin's details can be found here (floating-scroll)

Comments

[Emdadul Sawon]

Beautiful and great! But as I am a noob, it kill my 4 hour. To save other's time: you have to add following style on div: .spacious-container { overflow: auto; }