Inheritance Hierarchy:
{{domxref("Node")}} <== {{domxref("Element")}} <== {{domxref("HTMLElement")}} <== {{domxref("HTMLTextAreaElement")}},
The HTMLTextAreaElement
interface provides special properties and methods for manipulating the layout and presentation of {{HTMLElement("textarea")}} elements.
Properties
form {{readonlyInline}} |
object: Returns a reference to the parent form element. If this element is not contained in a form element, it can be the {{htmlattrxref("id", "form")}} attribute of any {{HTMLElement("form")}} element in the same document or the value null . |
type {{readonlyInline}} |
string: Returns the string textarea . |
value |
string: Returns / Sets the raw value contained in the control. |
textLength {{readonlyInline}} |
long: Returns the codepoint length of the control's value . Same as calling value.length |
defaultValue |
string: Returns / Sets the control's default value, which behaves like the {{domxref("Node.textContent")}} property. |
placeholder |
string: Returns / Sets the element's {{htmlattrxref("placeholder", "textarea")}} attribute, containing a hint to the user about what to enter in the control. |
rows |
unsigned long: Returns / Sets the element's {{htmlattrxref("rows", "textarea")}} attribute, indicating the number of visible text lines for the control. |
cols |
unsigned long: Returns / Sets the element's {{htmlattrxref("cols", "textarea")}} attribute, indicating the visible width of the text area. |
autofocus |
boolean: Returns / Sets the element's {{htmlattrxref("autofocus", "textarea")}} attribute, indicating that the control should have input focus when the page loads |
name |
string: Returns / Sets the element's {{htmlattrxref("name", "textarea")}} attribute, containing the name of the control. |
disabled |
boolean: Returns / Sets the element's {{htmlattrxref("disabled", "textarea")}} attribute, indicating that the control is not available for interaction. |
maxLength |
long: Returns / Sets the element's {{htmlattrxref("maxlength", "textarea")}} attribute, indicating the maximum number of characters the user can enter. This constraint is evaluated only when the value changes. |
accessKey |
string: Returns / Sets the element's {{htmlattrxref("accesskey", "textarea")}} attribute. |
readOnly |
boolean: Returns / Sets the element's {{htmlattrxref("readonly", "textarea")}} attribute, indicating that the user cannot modify the value of the control. |
required |
boolean: Returns / Sets the element's {{htmlattrxref("required", "textarea")}} attribute, indicating that the user must specify a value before submitting the form. |
tabIndex |
long: Returns / Sets the position of the element in the tabbing navigation order for the current document. |
selectionStart |
unsigned long: Returns / Sets the index of the beginning of selected text. If no text is selected, contains the index of the character that follows the input cursor. On being set, the control behaves as if setSelectionRange() had been called with this as the first argument, and selectionEnd as the second argument. |
selectionEnd |
unsigned long: Returns / Sets the index of the end of selected text. If no text is selected, contains the index of the character that follows the input cursor. On being set, the control behaves as if setSelectionRange() had been called with this as the second argument, and selectionStart as the first argument. |
selectionDirection |
string: Returns / Sets the direction in which selection occurred. This is "forward" if selection was performed in the start-to-end direction of the current locale, or "backward" for the opposite direction. This can also be "none" if the direction is unknown." |
validity {{readonlyInline}} |
{{domxref("ValidityState")}} object: Returns the validity states that this element is in. |
willValidate |
|
validationMessage {{readonlyInline}} |
string: Returns a localized message that describes the validation constraints that the control does not satisfy (if any). This is the empty string if the control is not a candidate for constraint validation (willValidate is false ), or it satisfies its constraints. |
autocomplete {{experimental_inline}} |
|
autocapitalize {{experimental_inline}} |
string: Returns / Sets the element's capitalization behavior for user input. Valid values are: none , off , characters , words , sentences . |
inputMode {{experimental_inline}} |
|
wrap {{gecko_minversion_inline("2.0")}} |
string: Returns / Sets the {{htmlattrxref("wrap", "textarea")}} HTML attribute, indicating how the control wraps text. |
The two properties tabIndex
and accessKey
are inherited from {{domxref("HTMLElement")}} from HTML5 on, but were defined on HTMLTextAreaElement
in DOM Level 2 HTML and earlier specifications.
Methods
focus() |
Gives focus to this control. |
blur() |
Removes focus from this control. |
select() |
Selects the contents of the control. |
checkValidity() |
Returns false if the button is a candidate for constraint validation, and it does not satisfy its constraints. In this case, it also fires an invalid event at the control. It returns true if the control is not a candidate for constraint validation, or if it satisfies its constraints. |
setCustomValidity(string) |
Sets a custom validity message for the element. If this message is not the empty string, then the element is suffering from a custom validity error, and does not validate. |
{{domxref("HTMLInputElement/setSelectionRange", "setSelectionRange")}}(selectionStart, selectionEnd, [optional] selectionDirection) |
Selects a range of text, and sets selectionStart and selectionEnd . If either argument is greater than the length of the value, it is treated as pointing to the end of the value. If end is less than start , then both are treated as the value of end . |
setRangeText() {{experimental_inline}} |
The two methods blur()
and focus()
are inherited from {{domxref("HTMLElement")}} from HTML5 on, but were defined on HTMLTextAreaElement
in DOM Level 2 HTML and earlier specifications.
Examples
Autogrowing textarea example
Make a textarea autogrow while typing:
JavaScript function:
function autoGrow (oField) { if (oField.scrollHeight > oField.clientHeight) { oField.style.height = oField.scrollHeight + "px"; } }
CSS:
textarea.noscrollbars { overflow: hidden; width: 300px; height: 100px; }
HTML:
<form> <fieldset> <legend>Your comments</legend> <p><textarea class="noscrollbars" onkeyup="autoGrow(this);"></textarea></p> <p><input type="submit" value="Send" /></p> </fieldset> </form>
{{EmbedLiveSample('Autogrowing_textarea_example', 600, 300)}}
Insert HTML tags example
Insert some HTML tags or smiles or any custom text in a textarea.
JavaScript function:
function insertMetachars(sStartTag, sEndTag) { var bDouble = arguments.length > 1, oMsgInput = document.myForm.myTxtArea, nSelStart = oMsgInput.selectionStart, nSelEnd = oMsgInput.selectionEnd, sOldText = oMsgInput.value; oMsgInput.value = sOldText.substring(0, nSelStart) + (bDouble ? sStartTag + sOldText.substring(nSelStart, nSelEnd) + sEndTag : sStartTag) + sOldText.substring(nSelEnd); oMsgInput.setSelectionRange(bDouble || nSelStart === nSelEnd ? nSelStart + sStartTag.length : nSelStart, (bDouble ? nSelEnd : nSelStart) + sStartTag.length); oMsgInput.focus(); }
CSS to decorate the internal span to behave like a link:
.intLink { cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff; }
HTML:
<form> <p>[ <span class="intLink" onclick="insertMetachars('<strong>','<\/strong>');"><strong>Bold</strong></span> | <span class="intLink" onclick="insertMetachars('<em>','<\/em>');"><em>Italic</em></span> | <span class="intLink" onclick="var newURL=prompt('Enter the full URL for the link');if(newURL){insertMetachars('<a href=\u0022'+newURL+'\u0022>','<\/a>');}else{document.myForm.myTxtArea.focus();}">URL</span> | <span class="intLink" onclick="insertMetachars('\n<code>\n','\n<\/code>\n');">code</span> | <span class="intLink" onclick="insertMetachars(' :-)');">smile</span> | etc. etc. ]</p> <p><textarea rows="10" cols="50">Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut facilisis, arcu vitae adipiscing placerat, nisl lectus accumsan nisi, vitae iaculis sem neque vel lectus. Praesent tristique commodo lorem quis fringilla. Sed ac tellus eros. Sed consectetur eleifend felis vitae luctus. Praesent sagittis, est eget bibendum tincidunt, ligula diam tincidunt augue, a fermentum odio velit eget mi. Phasellus mattis, elit id fringilla semper, orci magna cursus ligula, non venenatis lacus augue sit amet dui. Pellentesque lacinia odio id nisi pulvinar commodo tempus at odio. Ut consectetur eros porttitor nunc mollis ultrices. Aenean porttitor, purus sollicitudin viverra auctor, neque erat blandit sapien, sit amet tincidunt massa mi ac nibh. Proin nibh sem, bibendum ut placerat nec, cursus et lacus. Phasellus vel augue turpis. Nunc eu mauris eu leo blandit mollis interdum eget lorem. </textarea></p> </form>
{{EmbedLiveSample('Insert_HTML_tags_example', 600, 300)}}
Maximum length and number of lines example
Create a textarea with a maximum number of characters per line and a maximum number of lines:
First, create a function that takes the text field and a key event as input and determines if any of the limits have been reached. If the limit has not been reached, it will return the key.
function checkRows(oField, oKeyEvent) { var nKey = (oKeyEvent || /* old IE */ window.event || /* check is not supported! */ { keyCode: 38 }).keyCode, // put here the maximum number of characters per line: nCols = 30, // put here the maximum number of lines: nRows = 5, nSelS = oField.selectionStart, nSelE = oField.selectionEnd, sVal = oField.value, nLen = sVal.length, nBackward = nSelS >= nCols ? nSelS - nCols : 0, nDeltaForw = sVal.substring(nBackward, nSelS).search(new RegExp("\\n(?!.{0," + String(nCols - 2) + "}\\n)")) + 1, nRowStart = nBackward + nDeltaForw, aReturns = (sVal.substring(0, nSelS) + sVal.substring(nSelE, sVal.length)).match(/\n/g), nRowEnd = nSelE + nRowStart + nCols - nSelS, sRow = sVal.substring(nRowStart, nSelS) + sVal.substring(nSelE, nRowEnd > nLen ? nLen : nRowEnd), bKeepCols = nKey === 13 || nLen + 1 < nCols || /\n/.test(sRow) || ((nRowStart === 0 || nDeltaForw > 0 || nKey > 0) && (sRow.length < nCols || (nKey > 0 && (nLen === nRowEnd || sVal.charAt(nRowEnd) === "\n")))); return (nKey !== 13 || (aReturns ? aReturns.length + 1 : 1) < nRows) && ((nKey > 32 && nKey < 41) || bKeepCols); }
In the HTML we just need to hook our function to the `onkeypress` event and specify that our textarea does not accept pasting:
<form> <p>Textarea with fixed number of characters per line:<br /> <textarea cols="50" rows="10" onkeypress="return checkRows(this, event);" onpaste="return false;"></textarea> </p> </form>
{{EmbedLiveSample('Maximum_length_and_number_of_lines_example', 600, 300)}}
Specifications
Specification | Status | Comment |
---|---|---|
{{SpecName('HTML WHATWG', "the-button-element.html#the-textarea-element", "HTMLTextAreaElement")}} | {{Spec2('HTML WHATWG')}} | The following attributes have been added: autocomplete , and inputmode .The following method has been added: setSelection(). |
{{SpecName('HTML5 W3C', "forms.html#the-textarea-element", "HTMLTextAreaElement")}} | {{Spec2('HTML5 W3C')}} | The attributes tabindex and accesskey , as well as the methods blur() and focus() are now defined on {{domxref("HTMLElement")}}.The following attributes have been added: autofocus , placeholder , dirName , wrap , maxLength , required , textLength , labels , selectionStart , selectionEnd , selectionDirection , validity , validationMessage , and willValidate .The following methods have been added: checkValidity() , setCustomValidity() , and setSelectionRange() . |
{{SpecName('DOM2 HTML', 'html.html#ID-ID-24874179', 'HTMLTextAreaElement')}} | {{Spec2('DOM2 HTML')}} | The property defaultValue doesn't contain the initial value of the value attribute, but the initial value of the content of the {{HTMLElement("textarea")}}. |
{{SpecName('DOM1', 'level-one-html.html#ID-24874179', 'HTMLTextAreaElement')}} | {{Spec2('DOM1')}} | Initial definition |
Browser compatibility
{{CompatibilityTable}}
Feature | Chrome | Firefox (Gecko) | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari (WebKit) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic support | {{CompatVersionUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} |
autocapitalize |
{{CompatChrome(43.0)}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} |
textLength |
{{CompatChrome(47.0)}} | {{CompatGeckoDesktop(28.0)}} | {{CompatNo}} | {{CompatOpera(33.0)}} | {{CompatSafari(9.0)}} |
Feature | Android | Chrome for Android | Firefox Mobile (Gecko) | IE Phone | Opera Mobile | Safari Mobile |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic support | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatVersionUnknown}} | {{CompatVersionUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} |
autocapitalize |
{{CompatNo}} | {{CompatChrome(43.0)}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} |
textLength |
{{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} | {{CompatUnknown}} |