How Can I Get the Cursor Position in a Text Input Field?

Determining the Cursor Position within a Text Input Field

Obtaining the cursor position within a text input field can enhance the user experience and simplify certain functionalities. Here's how you can achieve this:

jQuery Solution

For a straightforward approach, you can utilize the selectionStart property of the input field element. This property returns the character index of the caret's current position within the field.

$("#myinput").on("input", function() {
  let caretPosition = $(this).prop("selectionStart");
});

Custom JavaScript Solution

Alternatively, if a jQuery plugin is not desired, you can implement a custom JavaScript function. This function leverages the selectionStart or selectionEnd properties, depending on the direction of the selection.

function doGetCaretPosition(oField) {
  let iCaretPos = 0;

  if (oField.selectionStart || oField.selectionStart == '0')
    iCaretPos = oField.selectionDirection == 'backward' ? oField.selectionStart : oField.selectionEnd;

  return iCaretPos;
}

This function can be easily integrated into your code by calling it with the appropriate input field as an argument.

Implementation

Once you have the cursor position, you can use it to execute various tasks, such as:

• Insert text at the specified location
• Highlight a specific region
• Perform text validation based on the caret's position

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