The `ion-input` component in Ionic 2 is a powerful tool for capturing user input in your apps. However, you might have encountered a common issue when using it – handling the Enter key press on a device's keyboard. Fortunately, in Ionic 2, dealing with the Enter key press, also known as the "Go" button, is quite straightforward.
When a user types into an `ion-input`, they might want to submit the form or trigger a specific action by pressing the Enter key on their keyboard. In this article, we will explore how you can listen for the Enter key press event and handle it in your Ionic 2 application.
To start handling the Enter key press in Ionic 2, you need to first set up a reference to the `ion-input` element in your HTML template. You can do this by using the `#input` template reference variable on the `ion-input` element like this:
In the above code snippet, we have added the `(keypress)="onKeyPress($event)"` event listener to the `ion-input` element. This listener will call the `onKeyPress` method in our component whenever a key is pressed inside the input field.
Next, let's take a look at the `onKeyPress` method implementation in the component TypeScript file. Here's an example of how you can handle the Enter key press event:
import { Component, ViewChild } from '@angular/core';
import { TextInput } from 'ionic-angular';
@Component({
selector: 'page-home',
templateUrl: 'home.html'
})
export class HomePage {
@ViewChild('input') input: TextInput;
onKeyPress(event: KeyboardEvent) {
if (event.keyCode === 13) {
// Handle the Enter key press here
console.log('Enter key pressed!');
}
}
}
In the `onKeyPress` method, we check if the key code of the pressed key is equal to 13, which corresponds to the Enter key. You can replace the `console.log` statement with your desired logic to be executed when the Enter key is pressed inside the input field.
Additionally, if you want to blur the input field (remove focus) after the Enter key is pressed, you can programmatically call the `blur` method on the `ion-input` element. Here's how you can modify the `onKeyPress` method to achieve this:
onKeyPress(event: KeyboardEvent) {
if (event.keyCode === 13) {
// Handle the Enter key press here
console.log('Enter key pressed!');
this.input && this.input.getInputElement().then((el) => el.blur());
}
}
By calling `this.input.getInputElement().then((el) => el.blur())`, we are blurring the input field, removing focus from it, after the Enter key is pressed.
In conclusion, handling the Enter key press in an `ion-input` field in Ionic 2 is a simple process that involves setting up an event listener for keypress events and checking for the Enter key code. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can enhance the user experience in your Ionic 2 applications by providing a seamless way for users to submit forms or trigger actions using the Enter key on their device's keyboard.