Tips for maintaining focus while tabbing in a contenteditable field?

Why does the table lose focus every time I press tab instead of inserting a white space? How can I change this so that pressing tab just inserts a regular tab space?

Answer №1

Try out the code snippet below. While I have not run it myself, it is expected to function correctly:

jQuery(document).ready(function(){
    document.addEventListener("keydown", function(event) {
      if(event.which == 9)
      {
         jQuery(this).val(jQuery(this).val()+""+&#009);
      }

    }
});

Answer №2

With the usage of jQuery, you have the capability to achieve something similar to this:

$('[contenteditable]').on('keydown', function(e) {
  if(e.which === 9){
    e.preventDefault();
    $(this).html($(this).html() + '&#009'); //insert tab character
  }
})

It is important to ensure that your css styling includes:

[contenteditable] {
  white-space : pre-wrap;
}

However, these instructions only cover the basics. If your cursor is not positioned at the end of the text, things can get messy. To address this issue, you will need to further enhance your event handler:

$('[contenteditable]').on('keydown', function(e) {
  if (e.which === 9) {
    //prevent from tabbing out 
    e.preventDefault();

    var ce = this;
    var $ce = $(ce);
    var html = $ce.html();
    var textNode = ce.firstChild;
    var range = document.createRange();
    var position = getSelection().getRangeAt(0).startOffset;

    //place tab at cursor position
    $ce.html([html.slice(0, position), '&#009', html.slice(position)].join(''));

    //reset cursor position and place it after the tab
    ce.focus();
    range.setStart(textNode, position + 1);
    range.setEnd(textNode, position + 1);
    var sel = window.getSelection();
    sel.removeAllRanges();
    sel.addRange(range);
  }
});

This method accurately positions the tab where needed and repositions the cursor accordingly.

If you wish to see a functioning demo, please refer to this link. Keep in mind that while this may work flawlessly in Chrome, compatibility in other browsers might vary. Additionally, certain edge cases like starting or ending with a tab character may not function correctly here. Nevertheless, this should help guide you in the right direction.

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