How can I make a div stick to the top of the screen once it's been scrolled to?

Question

I would like to create a div, that is situated beneath a block of content but that once the page has been scrolled enough to contact its top boundary, becomes fixed in place

Answer 1

Here's an example that uses jquery-visible plugin: http://jsfiddle.net/711p4em4/.

HTML:

    
Header
    

        
Stick to top
        Content
    
    
Footer

CSS:

* {
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
}

body {
    background-color: #e2e2e2;
}

.wrapper > header,
.wrapper > footer {
    font: 20px/2 Sans-Serif;
    text-align: center;
    background-color: #0040FF;
    color: #fff;
}

.wrapper > main {
    position: relative;
    height: 500px;
    background-color: #5e5e5e;
    font: 20px/500px Sans-Serif;
    color: #fff;
    text-align: center;
    padding-top: 40px;
}

.wrapper > main > nav {
    position: absolute;
    top: 0;
    left: 0;
    right: 0;
    font: 20px/2 Sans-Serif;
    color: #fff;
    text-align: center;
    background-color: #FFBF00;
}

.wrapper > main > nav.fixed {
    position: fixed;
    top: 0;
    left: 0;
    right: 0;
}

JS (include jquery-visible plugin):

(function($){

    /**
     * Copyright 2012, Digital Fusion
     * Licensed under the MIT license.
     * http://teamdf.com/jquery-plugins/license/
     *
     * @author Sam Sehnert
     * @desc A small plugin that checks whether elements are within
     *       the user visible viewport of a web browser.
     *       only accounts for vertical position, not horizontal.
     */
    var $w = $(window);
    $.fn.visible = function(partial,hidden,direction){

        if (this.length < 1)
            return;

        var $t        = this.length > 1 ? this.eq(0) : this,
            t         = $t.get(0),
            vpWidth   = $w.width(),
            vpHeight  = $w.height(),
            direction = (direction) ? direction : 'both',
            clientSize = hidden === true ? t.offsetWidth * t.offsetHeight : true;

        if (typeof t.getBoundingClientRect === 'function'){

            // Use this native browser method, if available.
            var rec = t.getBoundingClientRect(),
                tViz = rec.top    >= 0 && rec.top    <  vpHeight,
                bViz = rec.bottom >  0 && rec.bottom <= vpHeight,
                lViz = rec.left   >= 0 && rec.left   <  vpWidth,
                rViz = rec.right  >  0 && rec.right  <= vpWidth,
                vVisible   = partial ? tViz || bViz : tViz && bViz,
                hVisible   = partial ? lViz || rViz : lViz && rViz;

            if(direction === 'both')
                return clientSize && vVisible && hVisible;
            else if(direction === 'vertical')
                return clientSize && vVisible;
            else if(direction === 'horizontal')
                return clientSize && hVisible;
        } else {

            var viewTop         = $w.scrollTop(),
                viewBottom      = viewTop + vpHeight,
                viewLeft        = $w.scrollLeft(),
                viewRight       = viewLeft + vpWidth,
                offset          = $t.offset(),
                _top            = offset.top,
                _bottom         = _top + $t.height(),
                _left           = offset.left,
                _right          = _left + $t.width(),
                compareTop      = partial === true ? _bottom : _top,
                compareBottom   = partial === true ? _top : _bottom,
                compareLeft     = partial === true ? _right : _left,
                compareRight    = partial === true ? _left : _right;

            if(direction === 'both')
                return !!clientSize && ((compareBottom <= viewBottom) && (compareTop >= viewTop)) && ((compareRight <= viewRight) && (compareLeft >= viewLeft));
            else if(direction === 'vertical')
                return !!clientSize && ((compareBottom <= viewBottom) && (compareTop >= viewTop));
            else if(direction === 'horizontal')
                return !!clientSize && ((compareRight <= viewRight) && (compareLeft >= viewLeft));
        }
    };

})(jQuery);

$(function() {
    $(window).scroll(function() {
        $(".wrapper > header").visible(true) ?
            $(".wrapper > main > nav").removeClass("fixed") :
            $(".wrapper > main > nav").addClass("fixed");
    });
});