How to detect pressing Enter on keyboard | jQuery

By: Rajesh P.S.

The jQuery .keydown() method is an inherent feature within jQuery that serves the purpose of either triggering the keydown event or associating a function to execute when a keydown event takes place. This functionality is valuable for responding to keyboard interactions and facilitating dynamic behavior based on user keystrokes.

$(selector).keydown()

Example

$('#myTxt').keydown(function (e){ if(e.keyCode == 13){ alert('you pressed enter key'); } })

The order of events related to the keydown event:

keydown : The key is on its way down
keypress : The key is pressed down
keyup : The key is released

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The keydown event is dispatched to an element when a user presses a key on the keyboard. If the key is held down, the event continues to be dispatched as the operating system repeats the key. While this event can be attached to any element, it is exclusively directed to the element that currently holds the focus. An illustrative example could involve displaying the content of a text input field within an alert box when the "Enter" key is pressed, providing an interactive response to keyboard input.

Detect ENTER key press event | jQuery

Browser View

Type something and press Enter key:

Full Source | jQuery

<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.6.0/jquery.min.js"></script> <script> $(document).ready(function(){ $('#myTxt').keydown(function (e){ if(e.keyCode == 13){ alert('you pressed enter key'); } }) }); </script> </head> <body> <p>Type something and press Enter key:</p> <input type="text" id="myTxt"/> </body> </html>

As the .keydown() method is just a shorthand for .on( "keydown", handler ), detaching is possible using .off( "keydown" ).

jQuery .keypress()

How can I detect pressing Enter on the keyboard using jQuery?

The keypress event is sent to an element when the browser registers keyboard input.

$('#myTxt').keypress(function (e){ if(e.keyCode == 13){ alert('you pressed enter key'); } })

jQuery .keyup()

The keyup event is sent to an element when the user releases a key on the keyboard.

$('#myTxt').keyup(function (e){ if(e.keyCode == 13){ alert('you pressed enter key'); } })

jQuery .keyup() event can be attached to any element, but the event is only sent to the element that has the focus.

e.keyCode == 13

The "Enter" key is encoded as the ASCII code "13". To determine if the user has pressed the "Enter" key on a webpage or within an input element, you can establish event listeners using the keypress or keydown events. These events can be bound to either the specific input element or to the broader document object, providing a versatile means to capture and respond to "Enter" key interactions effectively. This approach enables the development of intuitive and responsive user interactions on web pages.

if(e.keyCode == 13){ alert('you pressed enter key'); }

The ASCII code of "13" corresponds to the "Enter" key. By checking the ASCII code of the key that was pressed, you can distinguish whether the "Enter" key was pressed or if a different key was pressed. This approach allows you to accurately identify user interactions and tailor your response accordingly, enhancing the interactivity and functionality of your web applications.

Conclusion

To determine if the "Enter" key has been pressed using jQuery, you can bind the keypress or keydown event to an element or the document object. By checking the ASCII code of the pressed key, where "13" corresponds to the "Enter" key, you can effectively discern whether the user has interacted with the "Enter" key or another key, enabling responsive and context-specific actions in your web applications.

Next > How to allow numbers only in a Text Box using jQuery

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