The following script does what it should, that is, it reacts on the keys \"arrow left\" and \"arrow right\". However, due to a keycode clash, it reacts on a single quote as
Use keydown
instread of keypress
jS:
document.onkeydown=function(event){
if(window.event) event=window.event;
var keycode=(event.keyCode)?event.keyCode:event.which;
switch(keycode){
case 37: alert("an arrow");
break;
case 39: alert("another arrow");
break;
}
}
Fiddle : http://jsfiddle.net/p9x1Lj4u/2/
As it is a text input, it seems you'd also have a problem when someone is trying to use the arrow keys to move the cursor within the input. Thus, stopping event propagation/bubbling should be used, and can solve the main issue you're asking about.
// assuming you've grabbed an input in var input_ele
input_ele.onkeypress = function (e) {
e = e || window.event;
if (e.stopPropagation) {
e.stopPropagation();
} else {
e.cancelBubble = true;
}
};
Using this will stop the keypress
event from leaving the input element, thereby never reaching the document element to trigger the unwanted behavior. In other words, you don't break the expected behavior of a very standard control element.
When the user presses the single quote key, the e.keyCode
property is zero, and the e.which
property is 39. Executing String.fromCharCode(39)
returns a single quote.
You want the keyCode
if that property is in the event object:
var keycode = "keyCode" in e ? e.keyCode : e.which;
That way you get zero for the keyCode when that property exists in the event object, and when the which
property also exists.
document.onkeydown = function(event) {
event = event || window.event;
var keyCode = "keyCode" in event ? event.keyCode : event.which;
switch (keyCode) {
case 37: console.log("37 was pressed", event); break;
case 39: console.log("39 was pressed", event); break;
}
};
Edit #1: Other commenters and answers are correct. I forgot you shouldn't be detecting control keys with keypress
events. Changed to onkeydown
.
Full HTML example that works cross browser:
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>Key Codes Test</title>
</head>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
document.onkeydown = function(event) {
event = event || window.event;
var keyCode = "keyCode" in event ? event.keyCode : event.which;
switch (keyCode) {
case 37: console.log("37 was pressed", event); break;
case 39: console.log("39 was pressed", event); break;
}
};
</script>
<input type="text" size="30">
</body>
</html>
keypress
should not capture control keys like left/right arrow. if you use keydown
event, single quote keycode is 222 definitely no conflict