Make text field ignore SPACE key?

[galvin]

Anyone know how to use javascript to make it so that if a "SPACE" is the 1st character typed in a text field, it will be ignored?

 

I saw this site where there was a text field and if you hit SPACE 1st by accident (or intentionally), the cursor moved forward for a split second, but jumped right back to the beginning again.  In other words, it wasn't letting the user type a SPACE as the 1st character.

 

I know I could look into just stripping any accidential leading spaces on the server side, but I'd like to use this cool feature I saw on that website if possible (unfortunately, I forget the name of the website).

[gevans]

Very easy.

 

Write a function that checks the value of the field. If the character is a space remove it.

 

The input field, and an onkeypress event that triggers the function.

[Axeia]

document.getElementById('textfieldId').addEventListener( 'keydown', function( e ) { 
  if( e.keyCode == 32 && document.getElementById( 'textfieldId' ).selectionStart == 0 && document.getElementById( 'textfieldId' ).selectionEnd == 0 ) {
    e.preventDefault();
  }
}, false );

I think.. for firefox anyhow, IE adds event listeners differently from the rest. (Google is your friend)

And iirc selectionstart and end are firefox specific.

 

Your best bet? A javascript framework like jquery and using the preventDefault() on the event

[Adam]

Don't rely on this to trim your inputs though if it's important they are, JS can be turned off remember.

[haku]

And on that note, the javascript isn't even really necessary. Just run trim() (if you are using php) on the serverside to deal with this. Unless the input is used on the client side without being sent to the server.