Execute an Action when the Enter-Key is pressed in a NSTextField? - cocoa

Question

I have a small problem right now. I want to execute a method when the Enter key is pressed in a NSTextField. The user should be able to enter his data and a calculation method should be executed as soon as he hits the enter key.

Answer 1

You can do this by setting the text field's action. In IB, wire the text field's selector to your controller or whatever object presents the IBAction you want to use.
To set it in code, send the NSTextField a setTarget: message and a setAction: message. For example, if you're setting this on your controller object in code, and your textField outlet is called myTextField:
- (void)someAction:(id)sender
{
// do something interesting when the user hits <enter> in the text field
}
// ...
[myTextField setTarget:self];
[myTextField setAction:#selector(someAction:)];

Answer 2

You have to do only this
For some keys (Enter, Delete, Backspace, etc)
self.textfield.delegate = self;
and then implement this method
- (BOOL)control:(NSControl *)control textView:(NSTextView *)fieldEditor doCommandBySelector:(SEL)commandSelector
{
NSLog(#"Selector method is (%#)", NSStringFromSelector( commandSelector ) );
if (commandSelector == #selector(insertNewline:)) {
//Do something against ENTER key
} else if (commandSelector == #selector(deleteForward:)) {
//Do something against DELETE key
} else if (commandSelector == #selector(deleteBackward:)) {
//Do something against BACKSPACE key
} else if (commandSelector == #selector(insertTab:)) {
//Do something against TAB key
} else if (commandSelector == #selector(cancelOperation:)) {
//Do something against Escape key
}
// return YES if the action was handled; otherwise NO
}

Answer 3

The Swift 3 / 4 / 5 version of #M.ShuaibImran's solution:
First subclass your ViewController to: NSTextFieldDelegate
class MainViewController: NSViewController, NSTextFieldDelegate {
...
}
Assign the textField delegate to the ViewController in your viewDidLoad():
self.textField.delegate = self
Include the NSTextFieldDelegate method that handles keyboard responders:
func control(_ control: NSControl, textView: NSTextView, doCommandBy commandSelector: Selector) -> Bool {
if (commandSelector == #selector(NSResponder.insertNewline(_:))) {
// Do something against ENTER key
print("enter")
return true
} else if (commandSelector == #selector(NSResponder.deleteForward(_:))) {
// Do something against DELETE key
return true
} else if (commandSelector == #selector(NSResponder.deleteBackward(_:))) {
// Do something against BACKSPACE key
return true
} else if (commandSelector == #selector(NSResponder.insertTab(_:))) {
// Do something against TAB key
return true
} else if (commandSelector == #selector(NSResponder.cancelOperation(_:))) {
// Do something against ESCAPE key
return true
}
// return true if the action was handled; otherwise false
return false
}

Answer 4

In your delegate (NSTextFieldDelegate), add the following:
-(void)controlTextDidEndEditing:(NSNotification *)notification
{
// See if it was due to a return
if ( [[[notification userInfo] objectForKey:#"NSTextMovement"] intValue] == NSReturnTextMovement )
{
NSLog(#"Return was pressed!");
}
}

Answer 5

It's very easy and you can do it directly from UI editor
Right click the Text Feild, drag Action reference to the button as shown below in the screenshot
Now it will give you some option as shown in screen shot below, you need to select perform click
Now it should look like this
Note: The event will be raised as soon as you press Tab or Enter key. In case you want the action should only be raised when user presses the Enter key then you have to do a setting. Go to the Attribute inspector and change the Action property to Send on Enter only as shown in screen shot below

Answer 6

NSTextFieldDelegate's – control:textView:doCommandBySelector: is your friend.
Look for the insertNewline: command.

Answer 7

In Interface Builder - click on your NSTextField, go to the connections editor, drag from selector to your controller object - you're actions should come up!

Answer 8

Best way to do that is to bind the NSTextField value with NSString property.
For Example,define a method:
(void)setTextFieldString:(NSString *)addressString {}
add bindings:
[textField bind:#"value" toObject:self withKeyPath:#"self.textFieldString" options:nil];
Enter any text and hit the return key, setTextFieldString will be called.