Question

I’m trying to create a simple “smart” textbox component in Flex, and I want a function inside it that I can use outside of the component to force itself to select all text inside of it.

Inside my SmartTextbox.mxml:

public function selectAll():void
{
    this.setSelection(0, this.length);
}

I also use this function when the textbox gets focus, like this:

private function onTextInput_focusIn(event:Event):void
{
        selectAll();
}

The later one, on focusIn event, is working.
But if I try to call the function from outside, like:

Inside another component where texInputQuickSearch is a SmartTextBox-component.

if(searchModule.currentState == SearchModule.STATE_SEARCH)
{
    doSearch();
    searchModule.textInputQuickSearch.selectAll();              
}

It won’t reselect the text.

Why does it work like this?

Answer 1

You need to do something similar to this…

AS3:

import mx.core.UITextField;

private function initializeHandler( event:Event ):void{

  var ti:TextInput = event.currentTarget as TextInput;
  var tf:UITextField = ti.mx_internal::getTextField();

  tf.alwaysShowSelection = true;

  ti.setFocus();
}


private function setSelection( start:int, end:int ):void{

  txtName.selectionBeginIndex = start;
  txtName.selectionEndIndex = end;

}

MXML:

<mx:TextInput id="txtName"
  initialize="initializeHandler( event );"/>