Insert text on textarea in cursor position

theScien · Nov 28, 2003

Hi all,
I have a little problem that I hope some of you might be able to solve.

I want to add a predefined piece of text to a textarea but where the blinking cursor is, and not by the end of it.

I have the following:

<IMG SRC="grfx/smilie_01.gif" ALIGN="absmiddle" onClick="addSMILIE('[

]')" STYLE="cursor: hand;">

This adds the [

] to the textarea fine, but always by the end, and not where the input cursor is, here's the function I'm using:

function addSMILIE(code) {
document.frmPROPA.txtNEWS.focus();
document.frmPROPA.txtNEWS.value += (code);
}

How to insert the code to the textarea but where the input blinking cursor is and not by the end of it?

Thanks.

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tlhawkins · Nov 28, 2003

You can use clipboard commands but I don't remmember if they work in Netscape. You can place text in the clipboard like this:

Code:

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE=&quot;JavaScript&quot;>
function ClipBoard(txt) 
{
holdtext.innerText = txt;
Copied = holdtext.createTextRange();
Copied.execCommand(&quot;Copy&quot;);
}
</SCRIPT>

I cut the above code out of a working app... I think it needs some form variables named holdtext and copied...

then put it in the textarea where you want it like this:

Textareaname.execCommand("Paste&quot

I hope that helps.

Travis Hawkins
BeachBum Software
travis@cfm2asp.com

http://www.beachbumsoftware.com

theScien · Nov 28, 2003

Thx, already found a solution, here it is for anyone who might need it:

<html>
<head>

<script type="text/javascript">
function storeCaret(ftext)
{
if (ftext.createTextRange)
{
ftext.caretPos = document.selection.createRange().duplicate();
}
}

function insertsmilie(smilieface)
{
var t = document.f.t;
if (t.createTextRange && t.caretPos)
{
var caretPos = t.caretPos;
caretPos.text = smilieface;
t.focus();
}
else
{
t.value+=smilieface;
t.focus();
}
}
</script>

<body>
<form name=f>
<textarea name=t onselect="storeCaret(this);" onclick="storeCaret(this);" onkeyup="storeCaret(this);" onchange="storeCaret(this);">Text goes here</textarea><br>
<button onclick="insertsmilie('8)');">Press</button><br>
</form>
</body>
</html>

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joelmac · Jan 7, 2004

I'd like to get the start, end, and/or current position of the caret. Is this possible?

Thanks,

________________________
JoelMac

JESTAR · Jan 7, 2004

@ theScien:

Nice code. Would it be fine if I used it for a personal site? I've modified it just a little:

<button name=b onclick="insertsmilie(document.f.b.value);">Press</button><br>

So it puts whatever text is written on the button in the textbox.

theScien · Jan 7, 2004

Joelmac: I think you need to use the selection object, have a look at this:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...uthor/dhtml/reference/methods/createrange.asp

and this:

http://www.mozilla.org/docs/dom/domref/dom_range_ref8.html

JESTAR: You can use it in any way you want.

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Insert text on textarea in cursor position

theScien

Technical User

tlhawkins

Programmer

theScien

Technical User

joelmac

Programmer

JESTAR

Programmer

theScien

Technical User

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