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