Question

i have a input tag which is non editable, but some times i need to remove the text inside that by pressing delete or back space keys. how can i do that?

Answer 1

I would advise against using the backspace key, since that is usually associated with the browser’s back button.

Here is how to solve your problem with .keyup() and only the delete key (jQuery normalizes e.which):

$(document).keyup(function(e) {
    if (e.which == 46) {                     // 46 is the code for the delete key
        $(inputSelector).val("");
    }
});

jsFiddle example

Quirksmode has a useful page on detecting keystrokes..

The above captures key presses anywhere on the page by attaching the .keyup() to the document. You must do this, since the input is not editable.

You could also use keydown(), but it’s best not to use keypress().

keydown and keyup provide a code indicating which key is pressed, while keypress indicates which character was entered. Because of this distinction, when catching special keystrokes such as arrow keys, .keydown() or .keyup() is a better choice.