DIV Height same as window height?

[qazplm114477]

Hi, I'm not an expert when it comes too designing. so i was wondering if anyone could help me.

I have a page that generates A LOT of data from the database via php and puts it in a table so I can never determine the current height of the window/web page.

and the problem is that I have a <div> on the left acting as a sidebar with links in it, but that div doesn't have the current height of the window when the page loads and just cuts off in the middle.

height:100% doesn't work

I used jquery

<script type='text/javascript'>
$("#leftpanel").css("min-height", $(document).height());
</script>

it worked but it won't stretch far enough if there's to too much data or if the page is too long

thanks to anyone who can help. I don't really know what to do.

[colweb]

First you need to get the height of the table

var divHeight = document.getElementById('TheTable').offsetHeight;

The table must have an id. In the above code line the id = TheTable.
Then you set the height of the div like so:

document.getElementById('div_left').style.height = divHeight+'px';

And the div must have an id also, in this case div_left.

[diafol]

Are you saying that your sidebar seems to be dangling when the main area is longer than the cut of the page? Personally, I wouldn't bother with JS or try to make an exact height. Why don't you just have a repeating background image via the body element (or a whole page / below nav wrapper div).
Seems like a lot of phaph to me.

However, this is not to rubbish js solutions already presented. They seem very good.

[qazplm114477]

First you need to get the height of the table

var divHeight = document.getElementById('TheTable').offsetHeight;

The table must have an id. In the above code line the id = TheTable.
Then you set the height of the div like so:

document.getElementById('div_left').style.height = divHeight+'px';

And the div must have an id also, in this case div_left.

thanks again col. everything's working now.