Guide on implementing event listener for right click using pure JavaScript (VANILLA JS)

Question

Guide on implementing event listener for right click using pure JavaScript (VANILLA JS)

I need the div to appear wherever the cursor is holding down the right mouse button.

In my scenario, I am using the following code:

<div class="d-none" id="item"></div>

#item{
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  width: 100px;
  height: 100px;
  background: royalblue;
}
.d-none{
  display: none;
}

var myMouseX, myMouseY;

function getXYPosition(e) {
    myMouseX = (e || event).clientX;
    myMouseY = (e || event).clientY;
    
    getPosition(myMouseX, myMouseY);
    
    
    function getPosition(x, y) {
        console.log('X = ' + x + '; Y = ' + y);
      let div = document.querySelector("#item");
      if (div.classList.contains('d-none')) {
        div.classList.remove('d-none');
      } else {
        div.classList.add('d-none');
      }
      divX = x + "px";
      divY = y + "px";
      div.style.transform = `translate(calc(`+divX+` - 50%) , calc(`+divY+` - 50%))`;
    }
}

window.addEventListener('contextmenu', function (e) {
  e.preventDefault();
  var pressTimer;
  
  pressTimer = setTimeout(function() {
    getXYPosition(e);
  }, 1000);

  window.addEventListener('mouseup', function (){
    clearTimeout(pressTimer);
  });
});

You can also view my Fiddle

It currently works with a left click by default using window.addEventListener('click')

So now, how do I change it to activate when holding the right click for a few seconds?

javascript html css

Answer 1

Answer №1

Utilizing the MouseEvent API and its events like mousedown and mouseup, we can analyze the event.button property to determine which mouse button the user is using. By monitoring the time duration between mousedown and mouseup, we can make decisions on actions to take when the mouse button is released, such as executing a custom function like showOrHideDiv.

The contextmenu event is triggered after a right-click (unless the context menu is already visible). It is possible to override the default behavior of the context menu if needed; however, this should be done cautiously and sparingly.

It's important to note that the approach used here assumes that users will not access the context menu using their keyboards, potentially leading to accessibility challenges and unforeseen issues for users. Hence, it's advisable to avoid intercepting the default right-click behavior whenever feasible, opting instead for alternatives like Shift + right-click unless users consciously choose to switch to the new behavior.

// Constants definition and main (`mousedown`) listener addition
const
  div = document.querySelector("#item"),
  RIGHT = 2,
  DELAY = 150;
document.addEventListener('mousedown', forceDelay);

// Main listener sets subsequent listeners
function forceDelay(event){

  // Proceed only if the right mouse button is pressed
  if(event.button != RIGHT){ return; }

  // Enable contextmenu and disable custom response
  document.removeEventListener('contextmenu', suppressContextMenu);
  document.removeEventListener('mouseup', showOrHideDiv);

  // After 150ms, disable contextmenu and enable custom response
  setTimeout(
    function(){
      document.addEventListener('contextmenu', suppressContextMenu);
      document.addEventListener('mouseup', showOrHideDiv);
    },
    DELAY
  );
}

// The `contextmenu` event listener
function suppressContextMenu(event){
  event.preventDefault();
}

// The `mouseup` event listener
function showOrHideDiv(event){
  if(event.button != RIGHT){ return; }
  const
    x = event.clientX,
    y = event.clientY;
  div.classList.toggle('d-none'); // classList API includes `toggle`
  div.style.transform = `translate(calc(${x}px - 50%), calc(${y}px - 50%)`;
}

#item{ position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100px; height: 100px; background: royalblue; }
.d-none{ display: none; }

<div id="item" class="d-none"></div>

EDIT
Note: While this script functions correctly in a standalone HTML file using Chrome, there may be unexpected behavior when run within a Stack Overflow snippet, especially with touchpad devices. If you encounter similar issues, consider pasting the code into a <script> element in an HTML file (with CSS in a <style> element) to observe proper functionality.

Answer 2

Utilizing the MouseEvent API and its events like mousedown and mouseup, we can analyze the event.button property to determine which mouse button the user is using. By monitoring the time duration between mousedown and mouseup, we can make decisions on actions to take when the mouse button is released, such as executing a custom function like showOrHideDiv.

The contextmenu event is triggered after a right-click (unless the context menu is already visible). It is possible to override the default behavior of the context menu if needed; however, this should be done cautiously and sparingly.

It's important to note that the approach used here assumes that users will not access the context menu using their keyboards, potentially leading to accessibility challenges and unforeseen issues for users. Hence, it's advisable to avoid intercepting the default right-click behavior whenever feasible, opting instead for alternatives like Shift + right-click unless users consciously choose to switch to the new behavior.

// Constants definition and main (`mousedown`) listener addition
const
  div = document.querySelector("#item"),
  RIGHT = 2,
  DELAY = 150;
document.addEventListener('mousedown', forceDelay);

// Main listener sets subsequent listeners
function forceDelay(event){

  // Proceed only if the right mouse button is pressed
  if(event.button != RIGHT){ return; }

  // Enable contextmenu and disable custom response
  document.removeEventListener('contextmenu', suppressContextMenu);
  document.removeEventListener('mouseup', showOrHideDiv);

  // After 150ms, disable contextmenu and enable custom response
  setTimeout(
    function(){
      document.addEventListener('contextmenu', suppressContextMenu);
      document.addEventListener('mouseup', showOrHideDiv);
    },
    DELAY
  );
}

// The `contextmenu` event listener
function suppressContextMenu(event){
  event.preventDefault();
}

// The `mouseup` event listener
function showOrHideDiv(event){
  if(event.button != RIGHT){ return; }
  const
    x = event.clientX,
    y = event.clientY;
  div.classList.toggle('d-none'); // classList API includes `toggle`
  div.style.transform = `translate(calc(${x}px - 50%), calc(${y}px - 50%)`;
}

#item{ position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100px; height: 100px; background: royalblue; }
.d-none{ display: none; }

<div id="item" class="d-none"></div>

EDIT
Note: While this script functions correctly in a standalone HTML file using Chrome, there may be unexpected behavior when run within a Stack Overflow snippet, especially with touchpad devices. If you encounter similar issues, consider pasting the code into a <script> element in an HTML file (with CSS in a <style> element) to observe proper functionality.

Guide on implementing event listener for right click using pure JavaScript (VANILLA JS)

Answer №1

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