Unable to perform the 'setSelectionRange' function on the 'HTMLInputElement' due to the input element's type being 'number', which does not allow selection

My attempt to enable text selection in an input box upon user click by using the code snippet below was unsuccessful:

<input type="number" onclick="this.setSelectionRange(0, this.value.length)" name="quantity" />

Instead of achieving the desired effect, I encountered the following error message:

Uncaught InvalidStateError: Failed to execute 'setSelectionRange' on 'HTMLInputElement': The input element's type ('number') does not support selection.

Answer №1

Although this question may be dated, I have come across a clever solution that eliminates the need for the tel input type. By temporarily changing the input type from number to text before making a selection, you can avoid the error and still enjoy all the advantages of using the number input type.

  • The tel input allows for text input, which could cause issues with numerical values.
  • Using tel does not display the number "spinner" beside the input field (unless specifically desired).
function onInputFocus(event) {
  const target = event.currentTarget;

  target.type = 'text';
  target.setSelectionRange(0, target.value.length);
  target.type = 'number';
}

Answer №2

A more effective solution is to replace the input type="tel" element.

Using the code snippet below as a guide:

<input type="tel" onclick="this.setSelectionRange(0, this.value.length)" name="quantity" />

This modification will resolve the issue and prevent any error messages from appearing.

Additionally, when viewed on mobile devices, the appropriate number pad will be displayed for user input.

Answer №3

Expanding on Tri Q Tran's answer and making it more versatile, consider the following approach:

const element = document.createElement('input');
element.type = 'number';

(function(originalFn){
    element.setSelectionRange = function() {
        this.type = 'text';
        originalFn.apply(this, arguments);
        this.type = 'number';
    }
})(element.setSelectionRange);

If you are open to manipulating the prototype, a generic solution can be implemented as follows:

(function(originalFn){
    HTMLInputElement.prototype.setSelectionRange = function() {
        if ( this.type === 'number' ) {
            this.type = 'text';
            originalFn.apply(this, arguments);
            this.type = 'number';
        } else {
            originalFn.apply(this, arguments);
        }
    }
})(HTMLInputElement.prototype.setSelectionRange);

Answer №4

When using type="number", the function setSelectionRange is not supported.

To work around this issue, you can instead use type="text" and add inputmode="numeric". This will display a numeric keyboard for mobile users while still allowing the use of setSelectionRange.

<input 
     type="text"
     inputmode="numeric"
     onclick="this.setSelectionRange(0, this.value.length)" 
     name="quantity" />

Answer №5

As the error message indicates, the function setSelectionRange is not compatible with number inputs. To manipulate the selection through JavaScript, consider using <input type="text"/> instead.

Answer №6

In Chrome, using evt.target.select() will select the content of an input type="number". On touch devices, a similar result can be achieved using an "if" structure.

document.querySelector('.number_input').addEventListener('focus', function (evt) {
    evt.target.select();
    if ('ontouchstart' in window) {
      setTimeout(function() {
        evt.target.setSelectionRange(0, 9999);
      }, 1);
    }
}, true);

However, this conditional statement causes issues with autoselect in Mac Safari. It's a challenge to find a solution that works across both desktop and mobile browsers.

Answer №7

I have successfully implemented a solution in Angular 1.5 by creating a custom directive (see TypeScript example below).

One challenge I encountered was that there is no built-in way to select the entire value of an input with type="number". To overcome this, my strategy involved temporarily changing the input type to text while editing the value, and then reverting it back to the original type upon blur.

This approach may allow users to enter "invalid" data into the field temporarily, but once they finish editing and blur out, the browser's native number validation logic will kick in and prevent any invalid submissions. While there may be some potential pitfalls, this method works effectively in Chrome and Firefox based on our testing.

/// Selects the entire input value on mouse click. 
/// Works with number and email input types.
export class SelectOnClick implements ng.IDirective {
    require = 'ngModel';
    restrict = 'A';
    private ogType: any

    constructor(private $window: ng.IWindowService) { }

    link = (scope: ng.IScope, element: any) => {

        element.on('click', () => {
            if (!this.$window.getSelection().toString()) {      
                this.ogType = element[0].type;
                element[0].type = 'text';
                element[0].setSelectionRange(0, element[0].value.length);
            }
        })

        element.on('blur', () => {
            element[0].type = this.ogType;
        })
    }

    static factory(): ng.IDirectiveFactory {
        var directive = ($window: ng.IWindowService) => new SelectOnClick($window);
        directive['$inject'] = ['$window'];
        return directive;
    }
} 

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