Question

I’m trying to figure out how to copy a users text input in one form field to another. Specifically, when someone fills in their email address in the contact form, it will be duplicated in the mailing list form.

Both these forms are using ajax so there’s no concerns about the input text being lost on submit.

This is the code I have:

    <div id="contact_form">
          <form name="contact" method="post" action="">

            <input type="text" name="name" id="name" size="30" value="Name" class="text-input" />
            <label class="error" for="name" id="name_error">Please enter your name.</label>
            <br />

            <input type="text" name="email" id="email" size="30" value="Email" class="text-input" />
            <label class="error" for="email" id="email_error">I need your email.</label>
            <br />

            <textarea rows="10" cols="30" type="textarea" name="message" id="message" value="Message" class="text-input" ></textarea>
            <label class="error" for="message" id="message_error">A message is required.</label>

            <br />
            <input type="submit" name="submit" class="button" id="submit" value="Send" />

          </form>
</div>

<div id="details">
    <p>some details here, not sure what yet</p>
    </div>

<div id="mail_list">
    <input type="text" id="mail" value="Your email" name="mail_list" /><input type="submit" name="submit" class="button" id="submit" value="Send" />
    </div>

I found this in the Jquery documentation, but couldn’t get it to work:

$("#email").optionCopyTo("#mail");

Thanks!

Answer 1

You said you want it in real time. I assume that means while the user is typing, the value should be replicated for each keystroke.

If that’s right, try this:

var mail = document.getElementById("mail");

$("#email").keyup(function() {
    mail.value = this.value;
});

Or if you want more jQuery:

var $mail = $("#mail");

$("#email").keyup(function() {
    $mail.val( this.value );
});

This will update for each keyup event.

I’d probably add a redundant blur event in case there’s an autocomplete in the field.

$("#email").blur(function() {
    $mail.val( this.value );
});