JavaScript's click() function cannot be used on text areas

Currently, I am in the process of creating a script for automating comments. During step one, I encountered an issue where the code is expected to simulate a click on this text area within a red box, but unfortunately nothing happened.
Initially, I attempted to use the code 

document.getElementsByClassName("_ablz _aaoc")[0].click();
without success. It appears that the click() method only works on certain div tag elements within the webpage I am interacting with, presenting yet another challenge to tackle.

Alternatively, I experimented with inserting the comment using .value, which did add text to the text area but left the "post" button disabled. To enable the button, it is necessary to click on the text area first and then produce at least one valid key press event before the post button becomes active. Refer to the image for illustration. Below is the HTML code relating to the text box and post button:

<textarea aria-label="Add a comment…" placeholder="Add a comment…" class="_ablz _aaoc" autocomplete="off" autocorrect="off" style="height: 18px !important;"></textarea>
<button class="_acan _acao _acas" type="submit" disabled=""><div class="_aacl _aaco _aacw _adda _aad0 _aad6 _aade">Post</div></button>

EDIT
Upon receiving recommendations to utilize .focus(), I implemented this solution but experienced limitations when executing the action on the target website. Despite trying out 

document.getElementsByClassName("_ablz _aaoc")[0].focus();
, the console returned 'undefined' and failed to focus the text area as intended.

javascripthtmlcss

Answer №1

Instead of triggering the click event, you can utilize the focus event.

To ensure that your elements are fully loaded, you can also incorporate the window.onload event.

window.onload = () => {
  document.getElementsByClassName("_ablz _aaoc")[0].focus();
}
<textarea aria-label="Add a comment…" placeholder="Add a comment…" class="_ablz _aaoc" autocomplete="off" autocorrect="off" style="height: 18px !important;"></textarea>
<button class="_acan _acao _acas" type="submit" disabled=""><div class="_aacl _aaco _aacw _adda _aad0 _aad6 _aade">Post</div></button>

If you wish to toggle the button's functionality, you can set the value of the disabled attribute to true/false based on changes in the textarea's content.

window.onload = () => {
  document.getElementsByClassName("_ablz _aaoc")[0].focus();

  //enable/disable button when textarea value changes
  document.getElementsByClassName("_ablz _aaoc")[0].onchange = (event) => {
    if (event.target.value) {
      document.getElementsByClassName("_acan _acao _acas")[0].disabled = false;
    } else {
      document.getElementsByClassName("_acan _acao _acas")[0].disabled = true;
    }
  }

  //trigger onchange manually
  document.getElementsByClassName("_ablz _aaoc")[0].value = "Testing"
  var evt = document.createEvent("HTMLEvents");
  evt.initEvent("change", false, true);
  document.getElementsByClassName("_ablz _aaoc")[0].dispatchEvent(evt);
}
<textarea aria-label="Add a comment…" placeholder="Add a comment…" class="_ablz _aaoc" autocomplete="off" autocorrect="off" style="height: 18px !important;"></textarea>
<button class="_acan _acao _acas" type="submit" disabled=""><div class="_aacl _aaco _aacw _adda _aad0 _aad6 _aade">Post</div></button>

Answer №2

To successfully submit your text, first interact with the textarea by simulating a keypress before clicking on the submit button

Answer №3

To ensure you focus on the text area, utilize the focus() event as opposed to the click() event

document.getElementsByClassName("_ablz _aaoc")[0].focus(); 
<textarea aria-label="Add a comment…" placeholder="Add a comment…" class="_ablz _aaoc" autocomplete="off" autocorrect="off" style="height: 18px !important;"></textarea>
<button class="_acan _acao _acas" type="submit" disabled=""><div class="_aacl _aaco _aacw _adda _aad0 _aad6 _aade">Post</div></button>

Answer №4

It seems a bit unclear to me why you are utilizing two classes in 

document.getElementsByClassName("_ablz _aaoc")[0].click()
. This method doesn't support selecting multiple classes, but you can achieve that using 
document.querySelectorAll('.class1,.class2')
instead. By doing so, you will be able to trigger the click event on the element successfully. Hopefully, this solution helps you address the issue at hand.

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