How to capture Enter key press?

Question

In my HTML page, I had a textbox for user to input keyword for searching. When they click the search button, the JavaScript function will generate a URL and run in new window.

The JavaScript function work properly when the user clicks the search button by mouse, but there is no response when the user presses the ENTER key.

function searching(){
    var keywordsStr = document.getElementById('keywords').value;
    var cmd ="http://XXX/advancedsearch_result.asp?language=ENG&+"+ encodeURI(keywordsStr) + "&x=11&y=4";
    window.location = cmd;
}

<form name="form1" method="get">
    <input name="keywords" type="text" id="keywords" size="50" >
    <input type="submit" name="btn_search" id="btn_search" value="Search" 
        onClick="javascript:searching(); return false;" onKeyPress="javascript:searching(); return false;">
    <input type="reset" name="btn_reset" id="btn_reset" value="Reset">
</form>

Solution 1

Form approach

As scoota269 says, you should use onSubmit instead, cause pressing enter on a textbox will most likey trigger a form submit (if inside a form)

<form action="#" onsubmit="handle">
    <input type="text" name="txt" />
</form>

<script>
    function handle(e){
        e.preventDefault(); // Otherwise the form will be submitted

        alert("FORM WAS SUBMITTED");
    }
</script>

Textbox approach

If you want to have an event on the input-field then you need to make sure your handle() will return false, otherwise the form will get submitted.

<form action="#">
    <input type="text" name="txt" onkeypress="handle(event)" />
</form>

<script>
    function handle(e){
        if(e.keyCode === 13){
            e.preventDefault(); // Ensure it is only this code that runs

            alert("Enter was pressed was presses");
        }
    }
</script>

Solution 2

Use onkeypress . Check if the pressed key is enter (keyCode = 13). if yes, call the searching() function.

HTML

<input name="keywords" type="text" id="keywords" size="50"  onkeypress="handleKeyPress(event)">

JAVASCRIPT

function handleKeyPress(e){
 var key=e.keyCode || e.which;
  if (key==13){
     searching();
  }
}

Here is a snippet showing it in action:

document.getElementById("msg1").innerHTML = "Default";
function handle(e){
 document.getElementById("msg1").innerHTML = "Trigger";
 var key=e.keyCode || e.which;
  if (key==13){
     document.getElementById("msg1").innerHTML = "HELLO!";
  }
}

<input type="text" name="box22" value="please" onkeypress="handle(event)"/>
<div id="msg1"></div>

Solution 3

Try this....

HTML inline

onKeydown="Javascript: if (event.keyCode==13) fnsearch();"
or
onkeypress="Javascript: if (event.keyCode==13) fnsearch();"

JavaScript

<script>
function fnsearch()
{
   alert('you press enter');
}
</script>

Solution 4

You can use javascript

ctl.attachEvent('onkeydown', function(event) {

        try {
            if (event.keyCode == 13) {
                FieldValueChanged(ctl.id, ctl.value);
            }
            false;
        } catch (e) { };
        return true
    })

Solution 5

Use event.key instead of event.keyCode!

function onEvent(event) {
    if (event.key === "Enter") {
        // Submit form
    }
};

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