Text box cursor location

9,735 Recognized Expert Moderator Expert

I am just wondering if it is possible to determine where the cursor is located within an <input type='text'> element using JavaScript?

I'd like to write a snippet of code that will move to the focus to the next text box when the user has pressed the left arrow key and the cursor location has hit the text box's maxLength.

Likewise I'd like the focus to move to the previous text box when the user has pressed the right arrow key (or backspace) and the cursor location has hit the beginning of the text box.

I can't seem to find any property that indicates what the index value of where the cursor is located at within a text element.

Thanks for your help!
-Frinny

Apr 17 '07 #1

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28051

acoder

16,027

Recognized Expert Moderator MVP

You can find the location using selection range properties. See this link (not exactly the solution, but you can work with it).

Apr 18 '07 #2

Frinavale

9,735

Recognized Expert Moderator Expert

You can find the location using selection range properties. See this link (not exactly the solution, but you can work with it).

I am pretty frustrated with this.
I'm finding it very hard to find useful JavaScript resources. W3C is usually where I gather all my information from but when it comes to this stuff it's not very helpful. I've tried your recommended links too but haven't been able to sort out my confusion.

I'm trying to understand the content of that link you sent me but I am confused.

Could you please give me some direction on what document.selection.createRange() is responsible for.

Or even what document.selection is.
I've tried looking up the document object but keep getting vague overview of it.

Thanks for your help!

-Frinny

Apr 18 '07 #3

jx2

228

New Member

[HTML]<html><head>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT"></SCRIPT>

</HEAD>
<BODY BACKGROUND=red ">
<div id=coords></div><INPUT onmousemove="show_coords(event)">
</body></html>[/HTML]

i hope it helps
jx2

Apr 18 '07 #4

jx2

228

New Member

lol
i vavent read it properly:-)
i thing you need to look here http://javascript.nwbox.com/cursor_position/
see source and be happy:-)
regards
jx2

Apr 18 '07 #5

acoder

16,027

Recognized Expert Moderator MVP

I am pretty frustrated with this.
I'm finding it very hard to find useful JavaScript resources. W3C is usually where I gather all my information from but when it comes to this stuff it's not very helpful. I've tried your recommended links too but haven't been able to sort out my confusion.

I'm trying to understand the content of that link you sent me but I am confused.

Could you please give me some direction on what document.selection.createRange() is responsible for.

Or even what document.selection is.
I've tried looking up the document object but keep getting vague overview of it.

Thanks for your help!

-Frinny

For information about selections, see this link.

Now if you can get the start position of this selection, you should get the cursor position (there's no simple way about it, unfortunately).

Also, read from the Mozilla docs about Selection and Range objects.

Apr 18 '07 #6

acoder

16,027

Recognized Expert Moderator MVP

lol
i vavent read it properly:-)
i thing you need to look here http://javascript.nwbox.com/cursor_position/
see source and be happy:-)
regards
jx2

Nice link - let's see if it's good enough for Frin.

Apr 18 '07 #7

Frinavale

9,735

Recognized Expert Moderator Expert

lol
i vavent read it properly:-)
i thing you need to look here http://javascript.nwbox.com/cursor_position/
see source and be happy:-)
regards
jx2

Beautiful! Thank you so much!
That's exactly what I would like to do....well just move the cursor back to the previous field once the cursor position reaches 0.

When I looked at the source I noticed that the JavaScript that controls this page is in an external file.

Gur

Apr 18 '07 #8

Frinavale

9,735

Recognized Expert Moderator Expert

I finally have a working solution!

<does a little victory dance>

Thank you guys for all your help!
If you hadn't have lead me to the selection stuff I would have never figured this out!

Cheers!!!

-Frinny

Apr 19 '07 #9

adrian74

New Member

The cursor position control example is exactly what I need, but I need to do this on a content editable element.

Sep 19 '07 #10

Frinavale

9,735

Recognized Expert Moderator Expert

The cursor position control example is exactly what I need, but I need to do this on a content editable element.

What do you mean?
Could you describe your problem in more detail please?

-Frinny

Sep 19 '07 #11

MRamaLakshmi

New Member

Beautiful! Thank you so much!
That's exactly what I would like to do....well just move the cursor back to the previous field once the cursor position reaches 0.

When I looked at the source I noticed that the JavaScript that controls this page is in an external file.
Gur

Hi,

i am in a urgent need for this cursor position.
it exactly matches my requirement.
if you got the external js file for knowing the cursor position using javascript, please send it to me. its urgent.

thanks.
lakshmi.

Oct 30 '08 #12

acoder

16,027

Recognized Expert Moderator MVP

Easy - check the source of the linked page.

Oct 30 '08 #13

MRamaLakshmi

New Member

Easy - check the source of the linked page.

the source is pointing to some external js file.

Oct 30 '08 #14

gits

5,390

Recognized Expert Moderator Expert

... as acoder said ... its easy, when you look at the source then you see it has to be in the same path so you could just call it in your adress-bar with:

http://javascript.nwbox.com/cursor_position/cursor.js

it's a normal textfile and you should just see the JS-code in your browser ...

kind regards

Oct 30 '08 #15

acoder

16,027

Recognized Expert Moderator MVP

Yes, cursor.js which you can download, view or copy (as long as the license allows). Just type in cursor.js in the address bar to view the contents. If you have a debugger like Firebug (in Firefox), you can just select the file within the 'script' tab.

Oct 30 '08 #16

MRamaLakshmi

New Member

... as acoder said ... its easy, when you look at the source then you see it has to be in the same path so you could just call it in your adress-bar with:

http://javascript.nwbox.com/cursor_position/cursor.js

it's a normal textfile and you should just see the JS-code in your browser ...

kind regards

thanks for sending the js file.

i am very new to javascript, starting now.
thanks for the help.

well if you don't mind i need some help from you.

Oct 30 '08 #17

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