Handling Arrow Key Events in Javascript/jQuery
When working with keyboard input in Javascript or jQuery, binding functions to specific keys can be crucial for controlling user interactions and providing responsive navigation. In this context, a common challenge is capturing left and right arrow key events. Contrary to popular belief, the js-hotkey plugin for jQuery does not natively support arrow key binding.
Using Plain Javascript
For straightforward binding without the use of external libraries, consider the following code snippet:
<code class="javascript">document.onkeydown = function(e) {
switch(e.which) {
case 37: // left
break;
case 38: // up
break;
case 39: // right
break;
case 40: // down
break;
default: return; // exit this handler for other keys
}
e.preventDefault(); // prevent the default action (scroll / move caret)
};</code>
In this code, key events are monitored using the onkeydown event handler. Arrow keys are identified by their respective which values (e.g., 37 for left, 39 for right). To prevent default browser behaviors such as scrolling or caret movement, the preventDefault() method is employed.
Supporting IE8
If you need to support Internet Explorer 8, which does not support the which property, you can augment the code as follows:
<code class="javascript">document.onkeydown = function(e) {
e = e || window.event; // IE8 compatibility
switch(e.which || e.keyCode) {
// ...
}
};</code>
Modern Solution: KeyboardEvent.key
In modern browsers, the KeyboardEvent.which property has been deprecated. For a more up-to-date approach to detecting arrow keys, you can utilize the KeyboardEvent.key property instead:
<code class="javascript">document.addEventListener('keydown', (event) => {
switch (event.key) {
case 'ArrowLeft': // left
break;
case 'ArrowUp': // up
break;
case 'ArrowRight': // right
break;
case 'ArrowDown': // down
break;
default: return;
}
});</code>The above is the detailed content of How to Handle Arrow Key Events in JavaScript/jQuery?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!
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