How to send key event to an edit text

Question

For example, send a backspace key to the edit text control to remove a character or send a char code like 112 to append a character in the edittext control programmatically.

Answer 1

to simulate backspace key, just ad code

editText.setText(editText.getText().substring(0,editText.getText().length()-1))
getWindow().setSoftInputMode(WindowManager.LayoutParams.SOFT_INPUT_STATE_VISIBLE);

to simulate adding a character, put the code

editText.setText(editText.getText() + (char) charCode)

getWindow().setSoftInputMode(WindowManager.LayoutParams.SOFT_INPUT_STATE_VISIBLE);

Answer 2

just use the setText method to do this. If you are wanting to simulate a backspace you could do something like this.

String curText = mEditText.getText();
if(!curText.equals("")){
    mEditText.setText(curText.subString(0, curText.length - 1));
}

Answer 3

I think you need use addTextChangedListener to EditText.
Refer the answer of EditText input with pattern android and Live editing of users input

Answer 4

To send a simulated backspace key press to an EditText you have to send both key press and release events. Like this:

mEditText.dispatchKeyEvent(new KeyEvent(0, 0, KeyEvent.ACTION_DOWN,
    KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DEL, 0));
mEditText.dispatchKeyEvent(new KeyEvent(0, 0, KeyEvent.ACTION_UP,
    KeyEvent.KEYCODE_DEL, 0));

This can be used to send any other key code, not just delete.

Answer 5

try implementing TextWatcher interface.

it has 3 methods which you need to override.

public void afterTextChanged(Editable s) {

    Log.v("afterTextChanged","here");
}
public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count, int after) {

    Log.v("beforeTextChanged","here");
}

public void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before, int count) {
}

I think this will work.

Answer 6

virsir , I suppose you are looking for dispatching hard keys programmatically.

For that you may try dispatch (KeyEvent.Callback receiver, KeyEvent.DispatcherState state, Object target) with an example at Back and other hard keys: three stories

Hope that helps.