maxlength on textarea?

**TheGoldenShogun** · May 8th, 2002, 10:15 AM

Anybody know if you can set a maxlength on a textarea? I tried just slapping maxlength='150' in it but it didn't a work.

**Cudabean** · May 8th, 2002, 10:58 AM

I really like this approach to the problem:
http://www.supermegaphone.com/message.htm

For this textarea, when you type, you see a field that counts down the number of characters remaining. With innerHTML, you wouldn't even have to have the number being displayed in a field, you could just place the number-of-characters-remaining right next to the textarea.

cudabean

**punkpie_uk** · May 8th, 2002, 11:00 AM

Theres no attribute for this, you'll have to use a client side script to do it

Code:

<html>
<head>
<title>Validating Text Area value</title>
<script language="JavaScript">
var txtLimit = 10
function limitChar(){
	var txtAreaString = document.forms['formName'].txtAreaName.value
	if (txtAreaString.length > txtLimit){
		alert("Your entry is " + txtAreaString.length + 
                      "characters long." +
		      "  Limit the text area to " + txtLimit + 
                      " characters.  Please try again.")
		document.forms['formName'].txtAreaName.focus()
		return false 
	} return true
} 
</script>
</head>

<body>
FormFieldName: (Character Limit:&nbsp;
<script language="JavaScript">
	document.write(txtLimit)
</script>
)
<form name="formName" onSubmit="return limitChar()">
	<textarea name="txtAreaName" cols="50" rows="10"></textarea>
	<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit">&nbsp;&nbsp;
	<input type="reset" name="reset" value="Reset">
</form>
</body>

</html>

**chrisjk** · May 8th, 2002, 11:39 AM

I like the countdown thing too, here is a very simple version

Code:

<html>
<head>
<SCRIPT Language = "JavaScript">
function UpdateCharCount() {
    intChars = 255 - document.form1.Comments.value.length;
    document.form1.Remaining.value = intChars;
}
</SCRIPT>
</head>
<body>
<form name="form1" action="" method="post">
<textarea name="Comments" rows="3" cols="20" onKeyUp="javascript:UpdateCharCount();"></textarea>
<br>
<input type="text" name="Remaining" value="255"  size="3" maxlength="3" disabled>
</form>
</body>
</html>

Tested in IE6, NS6.2 and Opera 6

change 255 to whatever you want the limit to be

**TheGoldenShogun** · May 8th, 2002, 11:59 AM

Great, thats what I needed. I'm surprised they dont have a property of the textarea for this already but cuttin and pastin script ain't too hard either. Thanks.

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