Paste multiline text in input type text (not textarea)

Question

I have a input type text where the users enter numeric codes separated by , or by - (to make a range). I'd like to allow the user of my site to paste a codes list. I've already managed to bind paste event (with jQuery) and parse the input string removing spaces and everything.

The problem starts when the user codes list is multiline. I haven't found any way to manipulate that text before the browsers attempts to insert it into the input, so the string is truncated at the end of the first line. Is there any way to manipulate the string before the browser truncates it?

Thanks!

Update here there is an example with JSFiddle... Stupid IE, in FF this works great.

Answer 1

I built a plugin to replace the input for a <textarea>. Here it is:

// Debe llamarse al plugin antes de construir cualquier referencia al elemento.
// El nuevo elemento debe seleccionarse por id, por name o por clases.
// En el momento de llamar al plugin el elemento debe estar visible.

// Translate:
// The plugin must be called before saving any reference to the element.
// The new element must be selected by its id, name or classes, not by the tag "input".
// When the plugin is called the element must be visible.

$.fn.acceptMultiline = function() {
  var txt = $(this),
    txtArea = $("<textarea></textarea>");

  if (txt.attr("style") != undefined)
    txtArea.attr("style", txt.attr("style"));

  if (txt.attr("class") != undefined)
    txtArea.attr("class", txt.attr("class"));

  if (txt.attr("name") != undefined)
    txtArea.attr("name", txt.attr("name"));

  if (txt.attr("id") != undefined)
    txtArea.attr("id", txt.attr("id"));

  txtArea
    .width(txt.width())
    .height(txt.height())
    .css("resize", "none");

  txt.after(txtArea)
    .remove();

  txtArea.on("input", function() {
    txtArea.val(txtArea.val().replace(/\r\n/g, " ").replace(/\r/g, " ").replace(/\n/g, " "));
  });
};

$(":text").acceptMultiline();

$("button").on("click", function() {
  $(".txt").val($(".txt").val() + "pepe");
});

<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.7.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<input type="text" style="width: 700px;" class="txt" />
<button>Change value of txt</button>

View on JSFiddle

Answer 2

Convert the string to one line by remove the line breaks.

"multiline\ntext\nline3".split('\n').join('');

Answer 3

Check this SO thread. It links to a jsfiddle that has code that i think will handle your problem

Is it possible to get pasted text without using the setTimeout() function?

The link to the jsfiddle http://jsfiddle.net/pxfunc/KDLjf/

Answer 4

You can use below workaround for IE. Please read the comment in the code sample -

    jQuery("input").bind("paste", function() {
        var element = jQuery(this);
        setTimeout(function () {
            var text = element.val();
// window.clipboardData works only in IE.
//  For other browsers, element.val() should work
            if(window.clipboardData){
              text = window.clipboardData.getData('Text');
            }
                matches = text.match(/[^0-9]+/g);
            if (matches != null) {
                for (var i = 0; i < matches.length; i++) {
                    text = text.replace(matches[i], ((matches[i].indexOf("-") < 0) ? "," : "-"));
                }
                element.val(text);
            }
        }, 100);
    });