Develop Reference

Format text as user inputs in a contenteditable div

I'm attempting to make a page that allows users to input text and it will automatically format the input -- as in a screenplay format (similar to Amazon's StoryWriter).
So far I can check for text with ":contains('example text')" and add/remove classes to it. The problem is that all of the following p tags inherit that class.
My solution so far is to use .next() to remove the class I added, but that is limited since there might be need for a line break in the script (in dialogue for instance) and that will remove the dialogue class.
$('.content').on('input', function() {
$("p.input:contains('INT.')").addClass("high").next(".input").removeClass("high");
$("p.input:contains('EXT.')").addClass("high").next(".input").removeClass("high");
});
I can't get || to work in the :contains parameter either, but that's the least of my issues.
I have a JS fiddle
I've worked on this for a while now, and if I could change only the node that contains the text (INT. or EXT. in this example) and leaves the rest alone that would work and I could apply it to the rest of the script.
Any help would be appreciated, I'm new to the stackoverflow so thank you.

See the comments in the code below for an explanation of what's going on.
Fiddle Example
JQuery
var main = function(){
var content = $('.content');
content.on('input', function() {
$("p.input").each(function() {
//Get the html content for the current p input.
var text = $(this).html();
//indexOf will return a positive value if "INT." or "EXT." exists in the html
if (text.indexOf('INT.') !== -1 || text.indexOf('EXT.') !== -1) {
$(this).addClass('high');
}
//You could include additional "if else" blocks to check and apply different conditions
else { //The required text does not exist, so remove the class for the current input
$(this).removeClass('high');
}
});
});
};//main close
$(document).ready(main);

Using one onchange javascript function for all div

I have multiple <textarea>, sometime they are blank and sometime they are filled with text.
I want to insert a simple text code such as "<check>" which will automatically change to a check (\u2713).
Presently, my code is like this:
<textarea name="1-S" onchange="check(this.value)">
<check> //an input written by a user
</textarea>
<textarea name="1-NI" onchange="check(this.value)">
<check> //an input written by a user
</textarea>
<textarea name="1-C" onchange="check(this.value)">
<check> //an input written by a user
</textarea>
(This block of <textarea> gets repeated, but of course, with different name in each one.)
<script type="text/javascript">
function check(str){
var res = str.replace("<check>", "\u2713");
????
}
</script>
The output will then replace <check> into actual check symbol (\u2713)
The challenge is, I don't want to have to add ID to every <textarea> and then write a script for each one. So is there a way for me to use this one script to apply to all <textarea>???
Many thanks in advance!

You could use the getElementsByTagName method to create an array of your text area tags.

Since you're using jQuery:
$("textarea").each(function(index, textarea) {
// do replacement here
});
Note that you need to use HTML entities to put <check> into a textarea: <check>
Also, you can put a checkmark in without any Javascript like this: ✓

Yes. You can bind an event handler to all elements of a type using jquery.
$('textarea').on('change', function() {
var text = $(this).val();
if (text.match(/\<check\>/)) {
$(this).val(text.replace(/\<check\>/, "\u2713"));
}
});
The benefit of doing it this way is that you can remove your inline 'onchange' handlers from the html and consolidate your validation logic strictly to JavaScript.
To replace the actual textarea content you need to update the value of the textarea with the result of your String-replace regexp. var text = $(this).val() is just assigning the content of the textarea to the variable text, it's not a reference to the innerHTML portion of your textarea.
On a sidenote if you'd like to allow users to use shortcodes in a form, prefer square bracket syntax, e.g., [check].

Can jQuery or Javascript change elements within textareas?

My first SO question! Here's what I am trying to do:
I'm rewriting a tool that generates some code a user can paste directly into Craigslist and other classified ad posting websites. I have created a list of websites (they populate from a database with PHP) the user can choose from with a radio button, and I want their choice to populate as bare text (not a link) between some <p></p> elements in a textarea. I'm using jQuery for this.
Textarea before the user chooses:
<p id="thing"></p>
Textarea after the user chooses:
<p id="thing">www.somewebsite.com</p>
HTML
<input type="radio" name="sitechoice" value="www.websiteone.com">www.websiteone.com<br />
<input type="radio" name="sitechoice" value="www.secondwebs.com">www.secondwebs.com
<textarea>
Some stuff already in here
Here is the website you chose:
<p id="thing"></p>
More stuff already here.
</textarea>
JS
$(document).ready(function () {
$("input").change(function () {
var website = $(this).val();
alert(website);
$("#thing2").html(website);
});
});
JS Fiddle (With comments)
If you see the JS Fiddle, you can see that I put another p element on the page outside the textarea, and it updates just fine, but the one inside the textarea does not. I have read many other like questions on SO and I'm starting to think that I can't change an element that's between textarea tags, I can only change the entire textarea itself. Please, lead me to enlightenment!

You actually can fairly easily manipulate the text contents of the textarea like it is part of the DOM, by transforming its contents into a jQuery object.
Here is a jsFiddle demonstrating this solution: http://jsfiddle.net/YxtH4/2/
The relevant code, inside the input change event:
// Your normal code
var website = $(this).val();
$("#thing2").html(website);
// This turns the textarea's val into a jQuery object ...
// And inserts it into an empty div that is created
var textareaHtml = $('<div>' + $("#textarea").val() + '</div>');
// Here you can do your normal selectors
textareaHtml.find("#thing").html(website);
// And this sets the textarea's content to the empty div's content
$("#textarea").val(textareaHtml.html());
The empty div wrapping your HTML is so that you can easily retrieve it as a string later using jQuery's .html() method, and so the parse does not fail if additional text is entered around the p element inside the textarea.
The real magic is $($("#textarea").val()), which takes your textarea's text and parses it into an HTML node contained in a jQuery object.

It can't do it the way that you are thinking (i.e., manipulate it as if it were a DOM element), but it is still accessible as the value of the textarea, so you can retrieve it like that, use basic string manipulation to alter it, and then set the updated string as the new value of the textarea again.
Something like this . . . first give the <textarea> an id value:
<textarea id="taTarget">
Some stuff already in here
Here is the website you chose:
<p id="thing"></p>
More stuff already here.
</textarea>
Then alter your script like this:
$(document).ready(function () {
$("input").change(function () {
var website = $(this).val();
var currentTAVal = $("#taTarget").val();
$("#taTarget").val(currentTAVal.replace(/(<p id="thing">)([^<]*)(<\/p>)/, "$1" + website + "$3"));
});
});
Unless you need the <p> element in there, you might consider using a more simple placeholder, since it won't actually act as an HTML element within the textarea. :)
EDIT : Fixed a typo in the .replace() regex.

I know that this answer is a little bit late, but here it goes =)
You can do exactly the way you want to do. But for that, you need to implement a small trick.
by having this HTML
<input type="radio" name="sitechoice" value="www.websiteone.com">www.websiteone.com
<br />
<input type="radio" name="sitechoice" value="www.secondwebs.com">www.secondwebs.com
<p id="thing2"></p>
<textarea id="textarea">
<p id="thing"></p>
</textarea>
you can edit textarea content, as a DOM by implementing something like the function changeInnerText
$(document).ready(function () {
$("input").change(function () {
var website = $(this).val(); // Gets value of input
changeInnerText(website);
//$("#thing").html(website); // Changes
//$("#thing2").html(website); // Does not change
});
var changeInnerText = function(text) {
var v = $("#textarea").val();
var span = $("<span>");
span.html(v);
var obj = span.find("#thing")[0];
$(obj).html(text);
console.log(obj);
console.log(span.html());
$("#textarea").val(span.html());
}
});
As you can see, I just get the information from the textarea, I create a temporary variable span to place textarea's content. and then manipulate it as DOM.

Instead of attempting to insert the text into the <p> element, insert the text into <textarea> element and include the <p> tag. Something like this should do the trick:
Change:
$("#thing").html(website);
to:
$("textarea").html('<p id="thing">'+website+'</p>');
And here is a fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/nR94s/

Placeholders with divs, not inputs/textareas

I have working on this problem for a couple weeks off and on. What I am trying to do is have placeholders to show users where they can type. When they do type, I want the placeholder to disappear, but reappear again when the div is empty.
Every thing I have found has to do with cross-browser placeholder support for inputs and textareas, and trying to apply the code for them to my issue results in failure.
I am using h1s for titles and standard divs for descriptions.
My code looks like this:
HTML
<div class="page-desc" contenteditable="true" data-placeholder="Write your description here."></div>
jQuery
var placeholder = '<span class="placeholder">Write your title here</span>';
$(this).html(placeholder);
I have more jQuery code, but it sucks. I am currently using keyup to hide the placeholder, and that's obviously not working. Can someone help me out?
I am totally open to using vanilla JavaScript as well.

You can have something like this:
$('#xdiv').html($('#xdiv').data('placeholder'));
$('#xdiv').keydown(function() {
if ($(this).html() == $(this).data('placeholder')) {
$('#xdiv').html('');
}
})
$('#xdiv').keyup(function() {
if ($(this).html() == '') {
$('#xdiv').html($('#xdiv').data('placeholder'));
}
})
Initially it sets DIV's HTML to placeholder text. Then when user begins to type (on keydown) it checks if DIV still has the placeholder text and if so - removes it. And since user can delete all the data - it checks (on keyup) if DIV is empty, and if so - restores placeholder's text.
Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/bP7RF/

there's a way to do it in css (modern browser only)
.pageDesc:empty:after {content : "Write your description here.";}

Javascript solution (not as pretty, but more cross-browser):
$("#in").keyup(function(){
if(!$(this).html()){
$(this).html($(this).attr('data-placeholder'));
$(this).attr('showing-placeholder',true);
}
});
$("#in").keydown(function(){
if($(this).attr('showing-placeholder')){
$(this).html('');
$(this).attr('showing-placeholder','');
}
});
Working Example: JSFiddle;

Why not use the Blur and Focus event handlers from jQuery and check the Text value of the Div?
Code for quick look:
$('[contenteditable="true"]').blur(function() {
var text = $.trim($(this).text());
var ph = $('<span/>',{ 'class':"placeholder"})
.text($(this).data('placeholder')||'');
if (text == '') {
$(this).html(ph);
}
}).focus(function() {
if ($(this).children('.placeholder').length > 0) {
$(this).html('<span> </span>');
}
});
Fiddle for example: http://jsfiddle.net/qvvVr/1/

Why can't you use the placeholder attribute of the input element.
It seems to do exactly what you want and it's very well supported
(http://caniuse.com/input-placeholder).
Sorry if I have missed something.

Is there a way to style textarea content as the user types with javascript and css?

I'm curious if there's a way to style content in a textarea as a user types.
For example:
<textarea>abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz</textarea>
Could I highlight all the vowels in the above textarea string on screen using javascript? But still only send the string when the form is submitted?

You can use a div with contentEditable attribute instead of textarea and to do the highlighting there.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/HTML/Content_Editable
You will still need to copy the content of this div to a hidden field of a form if you need to post it.

try this
<div contenteditable="true">
This text can be edited by the user.
</div>

give some id to textarea and bind its onkeyup event with jquery function.something like this
$('#id_of_textarea').bind('keyup', function() {
//for displaying vowels on screen
var str=$('#id_of_textarea').val();
var total_findVowels="";
for (var i = 0; i < str.length; i++) {
if (str.charAt(i).match(/[a-zA-Z]/) != null) {
// findVowels
if (str.charAt(i).match(/[aeiouAEIOU]/))
{
total_findVowels=total_findVowels+str.charAt(i);
}
}
//use some label to display all vowels
$("#some_lbl").text(total_findVowels);
}//for
} );

You can see one of those questions for some inspiration. They talk specifically about live syntax highlighting so is it not exactly what you are asking about but maybe close enough, and syntax highlighting seems to be a more common problem so it's easier to find some ready solutions:
Textarea that can do syntax highlighting on the fly?
Are there any JavaScript live syntax highlighters?
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1505761/textarea-with-syntax-code-highlighting
Live text color change in javascript

If beeing precise and answer only your question:
There is no way to do it, but as others said there are other ways to solve your task

I use the following snipplet:
$( "#yourtextarea" ).bind( "keyup input paste", parseAndReplaceContent );
My parseAndReplaceContent function calls jQuery's $( "#yourtextarea" ).val() to access and modify the data.