detect cursor type

Question

I want JavaScript code to detect the cursor type.

For example when the cursor hovers in textarea it changes from default to text ..

Answer 1

I think you can read the cursor css property just like you can set it, but you have to do this from a specific element because AFAIK there's no way to just read the cursor type from the window or document object. Following this logic, to get the current cursor type you would have to find the current element the mouse is over and read its cursor css. However, you'd constantly have to check to see if the cursor changed, which is slow and error prone (As a rule you should almost always try to try to put your code in an event handler to react to something instead of constantly checking if its happened yet and putting your code in that function its more logical, efficient, robust, and clear.)

But the idea of detecting the cursor type still fascinates me, and if anyone knows how I'd love to hear about it. :D

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As an alternate solution, rather than reading the cursor type, why don't you just set an event handler for when it enters an element that would change it? This would be a lot less error prone and probably more direct, because I don't think you care so much about the cursor, but if the mouse has entered a specific element.

$("#textbox").mouseover( function() { 
    //I know the cursor has changed because it is now in a textbox
});