set Maxlength to TextArea

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Web/Web_Languages/HTML/Q_20781420.html

Hi
I am using Textarea type.I want to set maximum length to the textarea.
I am using following code for the same,but it is not working,
<textarea name="txtDescription" cols=10 rows=3 maxlength=50></textarea>
But it is not working,it takes chars beyond 50 also.
Help me inthe same
Comment from seanpowell
Date: 10/29/2003 02:14AM PST
 Comment

Hi, you're best bet is to set this in a basic javscript function, like so:

<html>
<head>
<title>Category</title>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
<!--
function validate() {
     maxlength=50;
     if(document.myForm.theTextArea.value.length>=maxlength) {
          alert('Your comments must be 50 characters or less');
          document.myForm.theTextArea.focus();
          return false;
     } else {
          return true;
     }
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form name="myForm" onsubmit="return validate();">
Comments:<br />
<textarea name="theTextArea" cols="10" rows="3"></textarea><br />
<input type="submit">
</form>
</body>
</html>


How to Customize
============

Make sure that you change the following 2 values to suit your page, both in the javascript, and the form:

1. myForm
2. theTextArea

If the name of your form is hello and the name of your text area is goodbye, then the code above would be:

function validate() {
     maxlength=50;
     if(document.hello.goodbye.value.length>=maxlength) {
          alert('Your comments must be 50 characters or less');
          document.hello.goodbye.focus();
          return false;
     } else {
          return true;
     }
}

and

<form name="hello" onsubmit="return validate();">
Comments:<br />
<textarea name="goodbye" cols="10" rows="3"></textarea><br />
<input type="submit">
</form>

Thanks

Comment from chitramahadik
Date: 10/29/2003 02:21AM PST
 Author Comment

Hi,I knew it can work instead if I called the same javascript function onChange event of TExtarea ,it will work but I can't specify maxlength=50 to TextArea object,the same is working for Text object.

Comment from seanpowell
Date: 10/29/2003 02:27AM PST
 Comment

That's because the textarea object does not use the "maxlength" property. It only supports the attributes: columns, rows, and name.

Accepted Answer from DelTreme
Date: 10/30/2003 02:24AM PST
Grade: B
 Accepted Answer

I've got a script to add the MaxLength property to the TEXTAREA tag (I didn't write it, found it somewhere on the net):

You'll need a file, called     maxlength.htc (code below)    wich adds a behaviour to the TextArea tag.

In your stylesheet, add:

TEXTAREA { behavior: url(maxlength.htc);}

From that point on, you can use
<TEXTAREA MAXLENGTH=50></TEXTAREA>
Whereever you want.

---code for maxlength.htc---
<PUBLIC:COMPONENT id="bhvMaxlength" urn="maf:Maxlength">
     <PUBLIC:PROPERTY name="maxLength" />
     <PUBLIC:ATTACH event="onkeypress" handler="doKeypress" />
     <PUBLIC:ATTACH event="onbeforepaste" handler="doBeforePaste" />
     <PUBLIC:ATTACH event="onpaste" handler="doPaste" />

<SCRIPT language="JScript">
// Keep user from entering more than maxLength characters
function doKeypress(){
     if(maxLength && value.length > maxLength-1){
          event.returnValue = false;
          maxLength = parseInt(maxLength);
     }
}
// Cancel default behavior
function doBeforePaste(){
     if(maxLength)
          event.returnValue = false;
}
// Cancel default behavior and create a new paste routine
function doPaste(){
     if(maxLength){
          event.returnValue = false;
          maxLength = parseInt(maxLength);
          var oTR = element.document.selection.createRange();
          var iInsertLength = maxLength - value.length + oTR.text.length;
          var sData = window.clipboardData.getData("Text").substr(0,iInsertLength);
          oTR.text = sData;
     }
}
</SCRIPT>

</PUBLIC:COMPONENT>

Comment from kingromes
Date: 06/07/2004 01:06PM PDT
 Comment

I assume that is an IE-only solution (Tested in Mozilla Firefox).

Neat trick tho'

Comment from nishaj
Date: 07/13/2004 11:41AM PDT
 Comment

I could not make this work using IE6/javascript. Maybe I am doing something wrong.

Added the line to the css as above to add the behavior to TEXTAREA.

Added the htc file with the code from above - just changed the SCRIPT LANGUAGE = Javascript.

Used the input tag as <TEXTAREA MAXLENGTH=5> as a test.

It just doesn't do anything.


Comment from gfdos
Date: 09/03/2004 10:33AM PDT
 Comment

I found this on the net, and it seems to fix the problems described herein:

<script language="jscript">
function LimitMultiLineLength(obj)
{
 var iKey;
var eAny_Event = window.event;
iKey = eAny_Event.keyCode;
var re
re = new RegExp("\r\n","g")  
x = obj.value.replace(re,"").length ;
if ((x >= obj.maxLength) && ((iKey > 33 && iKey < 255) || (iKey > 95 && iKey < 106)) && (iKey != 13))
{
if (obj.ErrorMessage )
{
alert(obj.ErrorMessage);
}
window.event.returnValue=false;      
}
}
</script>

called like this:

<textarea name="name" id="name" onkeypress="LimitMultiLineLength(this)" onbeforepaste="LimitMultiLineLength(this)" maxLength="255" ErrorMessage="The maximum allowance of 255 characters has been reached." style="height:108px;width:400px;"></textarea>

Comment from bharatpanthee
Date: 12/16/2004 03:02AM PST
 Comment

there is no property like maxlengh in textarea u can use javascript for check this
code for this
<script language="javascript">
var text1;
function checklength(i)
{
var txt;
txt=document.form.textarea1.value;
n=txt.length;
if (n>i) //i is the maxlength of textarea which we have set to 80
{
alert('Text overflow');
document.form.textarea1.value=text1;
return;
}
text1=document.form.textarea1.value;
}
</script>

<body>
<form>
<textarea name=textarea1 onkeydown="javascript:checklength(80)"></textarea>

</form>
</body>


I think this will help u.

Comment from biffsmith
Date: 03/04/2005 06:00AM PST
 Comment

The validate() works like a charm.  Thank you!  Now what if the form contains more than one textarea? I attempted to add additional variables to the script but I'm certain I have the syntax wrong:

<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
<!--
function validate() {
     maxlength=200;
     if(document.form.comments1.value.length>=maxlength) {
          alert('Your comments must be 200 characters or less');
          document.form.comments1.focus();
          return false;
     } else {
          return true;
     }
}
function validate1() {
     maxlength=200;
     if(document.form.comments2.value.length>=maxlength) {
          alert('Your comments must be 200 characters or less');
          document.form.comments2.focus();
          return false;
     } else {
          return true;
     }
}
function validate2() {
     maxlength=200;
     if(document.form.comments3.value.length>=maxlength) {
          alert('Your comments must be 200 characters or less');
          document.form.comments3.focus();
          return false;
     } else {
          return true;
     }
}
//-->
</script>

AND THEN IN THE FORM TAG, I CALLED IT AS SUCH:

onsubmit="return validate(); return validate1(); return validate2()"

Since it doesn't work I'm sure I've got it wrong.  Can you take it one step further and advise as to the correct syntax?  Will this even work with more than one textarea field?

Thank you!

Administrative Comment from seanpowell
Date: 03/04/2005 06:07AM PST
 Administrative Comment

Hi biffsmith,

You'll need to cerate a new question for this.

Thanks,
Sean Powell
HTML PAge Editor

Comment from presbria
Date: 08/10/2005 01:21PM PDT
 Comment

Hey, I know this one's already solved, but I have an alternative solution that I feel is better for a few reasons.  

#1 It's re-usable for all text areas via one function
#2 It doesn't inform teh user that he/she is typing too many characters, it prevents them from doing so, sort of like maxlength

There's a downside: the user can see the typed character for an instand prior to the removal.

Here's the function:

function CheckMaxLength(Object, MaxLen)
{
  if(Object.value.length > MaxLen)
  {     
    Object.value = Object.value.substring(0, MaxLen);
  }
}

And the implementation:
<textarea name="Responsibilities" onkeyup="CheckMaxLength(this, 15);"><textarea>


Passing the form object and using it's methods.  Pretty simply and painless.


 

Comment from presbria
Date: 08/10/2005 01:22PM PDT
 Comment

Oh, that answered both questions too!!!

I know, I'm too late, but I think it's still the best way to do it, if not, please let me know a better one.

Thx.

Comment from mdmeighan
Date: 08/22/2005 01:10PM PDT
 Comment

This is a little cleaner - it imposes the length limit by cancelling the extra keypresses rather than using the substring() trick --

function imposeMaxLength(Object, MaxLen)
{
  return (Object.value.length <= MaxLen);
}

Implementation:


<textarea name="myName" onkeypress="return imposeMaxLength(this, 15);" ><textarea>

posted on 2005-10-18 21:50  cy163  阅读(1070)  评论(0)  编辑  收藏  举报

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