jQuery keydown Event

Posted in jQuery Tutorial

Updated on May 15, 2024

By Mari Selvan

👁️ 9 - Views

⏳ 4 mins

💬 0

Photo Credit to CodeToFun

🙋 Introduction

jQuery empowers developers with an arsenal of tools to create dynamic and interactive web experiences. Among these tools is the keydown event, which enables you to capture keyboard inputs and trigger actions accordingly.

In this guide, we'll explore the keydown event in jQuery, highlighting its syntax, usage, and best practices. It's important to note that .keydown() has been deprecated, and we'll be using .on() instead for event handling.

🧠 Understanding keydown Event

The keydown event in jQuery allows you to respond to key presses on the keyboard. Whether you need to detect specific keys, capture user input, or enhance navigation within your web application, the keydown event provides the functionality you need.

💡 Syntax

The syntax for the keydown event is straightforward:

syntax.js

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$(selector).on("keydown", [eventData], handler)

📝 Example

Basic Usage:

Let's start with a simple example of capturing key presses. Suppose you want to log the key code whenever a key is pressed inside a text input field with the ID textInput:
index.html
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```
<input type="text" id="textInput">
```
example.js
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```
$("#textInput").on("keydown", function(event) {
  console.log("Key pressed: " + event.keyCode);
});
```
This code will log the key code of the pressed key to the console each time a key is pressed within the text input.

Handling Arrow Key Navigation:

You can utilize the keydown event to implement custom navigation controls using arrow keys. Here's an example where pressing the arrow keys navigates through a list of items:

index.html

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<ul id="list">
  <li>Item 1</li>
  <li>Item 2</li>
  <li>Item 3</li>
</ul>

example.js

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$("#list").on("keydown", function(event) {
  var current = $(this).find(".active");
  
  switch(event.keyCode) {
    case 37: // Left arrow key
      current.prev().addClass("active");
      current.removeClass("active");
      break;
    case 39: // Right arrow key
      current.next().addClass("active");
      current.removeClass("active");
      break;
  }
});

This code allows you to navigate through the list items using the left and right arrow keys, applying the active class to the current item.

Preventing Default Behavior:

You can also prevent the default behavior of certain keys using the keydown event. For instance, to prevent the default action of the Enter key within a form:
index.html
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```
<form id="myForm">
  <input type="text">
  <button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>
```
example.js
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```
$("#myForm").on("keydown", function(event) {
  if (event.keyCode === 13) { // Enter key
      event.preventDefault();
      // Additional custom logic here
  }
});
```
This code prevents the form from being submitted when the Enter key is pressed, allowing you to execute custom logic instead.

🎉 Conclusion

The jQuery keydown event is a versatile tool for capturing keyboard inputs and enhancing user interactions within web applications.

By leveraging its capabilities, you can create more intuitive interfaces, implement custom navigation controls, and handle user input effectively. Remember to use the .on() method for event handling, as .keydown() has been deprecated. With a solid understanding of the keydown event, you can elevate the user experience of your web projects to new heights.