How to set fixed position element in a relative container
As you may know, having a fixed element inside a container is not as simple as it appears; however, there are several methods to achieve this result, including javascript positioning and block positioning; however, not many people are talking about sticky positioned blocks, which can come in very handy in this situation; however, sticky positioning has flaws if not used correctly, because the stickyness stops when reaching the next relative block.
What is CSS Sticky position?
CSS sticky position is a valuable layout property that combines the best of both fixed and relative positioning. When applied to an element, it behaves as a relative element within its parent container until it reaches a defined offset from the viewport edge. Once this threshold is crossed, the element becomes fixed, staying in place even as the user scrolls. This creates a smooth and intuitive user experience by keeping important elements, such as navigation bars, in view while allowing content to flow naturally. CSS sticky position offers a dynamic and responsive solution for web designers to enhance the accessibility and usability of their websites, contributing to an overall polished and user-friendly design.
How to have a fixed element inside a relative container using sticky position?
First of all, we need a ladder structure with 3 levels:
- Level 1 - Parent element, our relative block that will hold the the fixed element
- Level 2 - An absolute container with our parent element's height indicating our sticky element trail
- Level 3 - The sticky block that becomes fixed inside the absolute element
id="MainBlock">
Fixed element inside relative block
with pure CSS and HTML
id="AbsoluteBlock">
id="StickyBlock">
This is the fixed element
When we're finished with the structure, we can go on to the CSS section, but before we do, please keep the following points in mind. The absolute block must be placed inside the relative container using the top, right, bottom, left elements and given a width of your choice.
Also, if you don't have a top or bottom attribute set within the block CSS, sticky position will not be triggered.
I believe this is the simplest technique of having a fixed element inside a relative container, and the stylistic options are limitless depending on your project requirements. I also attempted to simplify this lesson as much as possible and skip directly to the subject.
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