// Code taken from https://css-tricks.com/snippets/javascript/support-tabs-in-textareas HTMLTextAreaElement.prototype.getCaretPosition = function () { //return the caret position of the textarea return this.selectionStart; }; HTMLTextAreaElement.prototype.setCaretPosition = function (position) { //change the caret position of the textarea this.selectionStart = position; this.selectionEnd = position; this.focus(); }; HTMLTextAreaElement.prototype.hasSelection = function () { //if the textarea has selection then return true if (this.selectionStart == this.selectionEnd) { return false; } else { return true; } }; HTMLTextAreaElement.prototype.getSelectedText = function () { //return the selection text return this.value.substring(this.selectionStart, this.selectionEnd); }; HTMLTextAreaElement.prototype.setSelection = function (start, end) { //change the selection area of the textarea this.selectionStart = start; this.selectionEnd = end; this.focus(); }; function enableTextareaTabbing(textarea) { textarea.dataset.captureTab = "false"; textarea.onkeydown = function (event) { if (event.ctrlKey && event.keyCode === 77) { textarea.dataset.captureTab = textarea.dataset.captureTab === "false" ? "true" : "false"; } if (textarea.dataset.captureTab === "false") { return; } if (event.keyCode == 9) { //tab was pressed var newCaretPosition; newCaretPosition = textarea.getCaretPosition() + " ".length; textarea.value = textarea.value.substring(0, textarea.getCaretPosition()) + " " + textarea.value.substring( textarea.getCaretPosition(), textarea.value.length ); textarea.setCaretPosition(newCaretPosition); return false; } if (event.keyCode == 8) { //backspace if ( textarea.value.substring( textarea.getCaretPosition() - 4, textarea.getCaretPosition() ) == " " ) { //it's a tab space var newCaretPosition; newCaretPosition = textarea.getCaretPosition() - 3; textarea.value = textarea.value.substring(0, textarea.getCaretPosition() - 3) + textarea.value.substring( textarea.getCaretPosition(), textarea.value.length ); textarea.setCaretPosition(newCaretPosition); } } if (event.keyCode == 37) { //left arrow var newCaretPosition; if ( textarea.value.substring( textarea.getCaretPosition() - 4, textarea.getCaretPosition() ) == " " ) { //it's a tab space newCaretPosition = textarea.getCaretPosition() - 3; textarea.setCaretPosition(newCaretPosition); } } if (event.keyCode == 39) { //right arrow var newCaretPosition; if ( textarea.value.substring( textarea.getCaretPosition() + 4, textarea.getCaretPosition() ) == " " ) { //it's a tab space newCaretPosition = textarea.getCaretPosition() + 3; textarea.setCaretPosition(newCaretPosition); } } }; }