How do I make a textbox that only accepts numbers?

Question

I have a windows forms app with a textbox control that I want to only accept integer values. In the past I\'ve done this kind of validation by overloading the KeyPress event

Answer 1

Both integers and floats need to be accepted, including the negative numbers.

private void textBox1_KeyPress(object sender, KeyPressEventArgs e)
{
    // Text
    string text = ((Control) sender).Text;

    // Is Negative Number?
    if (e.KeyChar == '-' && text.Length == 0)
    {
        e.Handled = false;
        return;
    }

    // Is Float Number?
    if (e.KeyChar == '.' && text.Length > 0 && !text.Contains("."))
    {
        e.Handled = false;
        return;
    }

    // Is Digit?
    e.Handled = (!char.IsDigit(e.KeyChar) && !char.IsControl(e.KeyChar));
}

Answer 2

Try a MaskedTextBox. It takes a simple mask format so you can limit the input to numbers or dates or whatever.

Answer 3

You can use the TextChanged event

private void textBox_BiggerThan_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    long a;
    if (! long.TryParse(textBox_BiggerThan.Text, out a))
    {
        // If not int clear textbox text or Undo() last operation
        textBox_LessThan.Clear();
    }
}

Answer 4

I would handle it in the KeyDown event.

void TextBox_KeyDown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
        {
            char c = Convert.ToChar(e.PlatformKeyCode);
            if (!char.IsDigit(c))
            {
                e.Handled = true;
            }
        }

Answer 5

Sorry to wake the dead, but I thought someone might find this useful for future reference.

Here is how I handle it. It handles floating point numbers, but can easily be modified for integers.

Basically you can only press 0 - 9 and .

You can only have one 0 before the .

All other characters are ignored and the cursor position maintained.

    private bool _myTextBoxChanging = false;

    private void myTextBox_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        validateText(myTextBox);
    }

    private void validateText(TextBox box)
    {
        // stop multiple changes;
        if (_myTextBoxChanging)
            return;
        _myTextBoxChanging = true;

        string text = box.Text;
        if (text == "")
            return;
        string validText = "";
        bool hasPeriod = false;
        int pos = box.SelectionStart;
        for (int i = 0; i < text.Length; i++ )
        {
            bool badChar = false;
            char s = text[i];
            if (s == '.')
            {
                if (hasPeriod)
                    badChar = true;
                else
                    hasPeriod = true;
            }
            else if (s < '0' || s > '9')
                badChar = true;

            if (!badChar)
                validText += s;
            else
            {
                if (i <= pos)
                    pos--;
            }
        }

        // trim starting 00s
        while (validText.Length >= 2 && validText[0] == '0')
        {
            if (validText[1] != '.')
            {
                validText = validText.Substring(1);
                if (pos < 2)
                    pos--;
            }
            else
                break;
        }

        if (pos > validText.Length)
            pos = validText.Length;
        box.Text = validText;
        box.SelectionStart = pos;
        _myTextBoxChanging = false;
    }

Here is a quickly modified int version:

    private void validateText(TextBox box)
    {
        // stop multiple changes;
        if (_myTextBoxChanging)
            return;
        _myTextBoxChanging = true;

        string text = box.Text;
        if (text == "")
            return;
        string validText = "";
        int pos = box.SelectionStart;
        for (int i = 0; i < text.Length; i++ )
        {
            char s = text[i];
            if (s < '0' || s > '9')
            {
                if (i <= pos)
                    pos--;
            }
            else
                validText += s;
        }

        // trim starting 00s 
        while (validText.Length >= 2 && validText.StartsWith("00")) 
        { 
            validText = validText.Substring(1); 
            if (pos < 2) 
                pos--; 
        } 

        if (pos > validText.Length)
            pos = validText.Length;
        box.Text = validText;
        box.SelectionStart = pos;
        _myTextBoxChanging = false;
    }

Answer 6

This one works with copy and paste, drag and drop, key down, prevents overflow and is pretty simple

public partial class IntegerBox : TextBox 
{
    public IntegerBox()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        this.Text = 0.ToString();
    }

    protected override void OnPaint(PaintEventArgs pe)
    {
        base.OnPaint(pe);
    }

    private String originalValue = 0.ToString();

    private void Integerbox_KeyPress(object sender, KeyPressEventArgs e)
    {
        originalValue = this.Text;
    }

    private void Integerbox_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        try
        {
            if(String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(this.Text))
            {
                this.Text = 0.ToString();
            }
            this.Text = Convert.ToInt64(this.Text.Trim()).ToString();
        }
        catch (System.OverflowException)
        {
            MessageBox.Show("Value entered is to large max value: " + Int64.MaxValue.ToString(), "Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
            this.Text = originalValue;
        }
        catch (System.FormatException)
        {                
            this.Text = originalValue;
        }
        catch (System.Exception ex)
        {
            this.Text = originalValue;
            MessageBox.Show(ex.Message, "Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK , MessageBoxIcon.Error);
        }
    }       
}