Constructor Detail

• TextAreaItem

  public TextAreaItem()

• TextAreaItem

  public TextAreaItem(com.google.gwt.core.client.JavaScriptObject jsObj)

• TextAreaItem

  public TextAreaItem(java.lang.String name)

• TextAreaItem

  public TextAreaItem(java.lang.String name,
                      java.lang.String title)

Method Detail

• getOrCreateRef

  public static TextAreaItem getOrCreateRef(com.google.gwt.core.client.JavaScriptObject jsObj)

• changeAutoChildDefaults

  public static void changeAutoChildDefaults(java.lang.String autoChildName,
                                             Canvas defaults)

  Changes the defaults for Canvas AutoChildren named autoChildName.

  Parameters:

  autoChildName - name of an AutoChild to customize the defaults for.

  defaults - Canvas defaults to apply. These defaults override any existing properties without destroying or wiping out non-overridden properties. For usage tips on this param, see SGWTProperties.

  See Also:

  AutoChildUsage

• changeAutoChildDefaults

  public static void changeAutoChildDefaults(java.lang.String autoChildName,
                                             FormItem defaults)

  Changes the defaults for FormItem AutoChildren named autoChildName.

  Parameters:

  autoChildName - name of an AutoChild to customize the defaults for.

  defaults - FormItem defaults to apply. These defaults override any existing properties without destroying or wiping out non-overridden properties. For usage tips on this param, see SGWTProperties.

  See Also:

  AutoChildUsage

• changePickerIconDefaults

  public static void changePickerIconDefaults(FormItemIcon defaults)

• setBrowserAutoCapitalize

  public TextAreaItem setBrowserAutoCapitalize(java.lang.Boolean browserAutoCapitalize)

  Note : This is an advanced setting

  Parameters:

  browserAutoCapitalize - New browserAutoCapitalize value. Default value is null

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

• getBrowserAutoCapitalize

  public java.lang.Boolean getBrowserAutoCapitalize()

  Returns:

  Current browserAutoCapitalize value. Default value is null

• setBrowserAutoCorrect

  public TextAreaItem setBrowserAutoCorrect(java.lang.Boolean browserAutoCorrect)

  In Mobile Safari, should automatic correction be offered for text in the item's text box? If null, then Mobile Safari determines automatically whether to enable autocorrect.

  When enabled, Mobile Safari displays "autocorrect bubbles" to suggest automatic corrections:
  

  Note : This is an advanced setting

  Parameters:

  browserAutoCorrect - New browserAutoCorrect value. Default value is null

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

• getBrowserAutoCorrect

  public java.lang.Boolean getBrowserAutoCorrect()

  In Mobile Safari, should automatic correction be offered for text in the item's text box? If null, then Mobile Safari determines automatically whether to enable autocorrect.

  When enabled, Mobile Safari displays "autocorrect bubbles" to suggest automatic corrections:
  

  Returns:

  Current browserAutoCorrect value. Default value is null

• setChangeOnKeypress

  public TextAreaItem setChangeOnKeypress(java.lang.Boolean changeOnKeypress)

  Should this form item fire its change handler (and store its value in the form) on every keypress? Set to false to suppress the 'change' handler firing (and the value stored) on every keypress.

  Note: If false, the value returned by getValue will not reflect the value displayed in the form item element as long as focus is in the form item element.

  Overrides:

  setChangeOnKeypress in class FormItem

  Parameters:

  changeOnKeypress - New changeOnKeypress value. Default value is true

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

• getChangeOnKeypress

  public java.lang.Boolean getChangeOnKeypress()

  Should this form item fire its change handler (and store its value in the form) on every keypress? Set to false to suppress the 'change' handler firing (and the value stored) on every keypress.

  Note: If false, the value returned by getValue will not reflect the value displayed in the form item element as long as focus is in the form item element.

  Overrides:

  getChangeOnKeypress in class FormItem

  Returns:

  Current changeOnKeypress value. Default value is true

• setEditProxyConstructor

  public TextAreaItem setEditProxyConstructor(java.lang.String editProxyConstructor)

  Default class used to construct the EditProxy for this component when the component is first placed into edit mode.

  Overrides:

  setEditProxyConstructor in class FormItem

  Parameters:

  editProxyConstructor - New editProxyConstructor value. Default value is "TextAreaItemEditProxy"

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

  See Also:

  SCClassName

• getEditProxyConstructor

  public java.lang.String getEditProxyConstructor()

  Default class used to construct the EditProxy for this component when the component is first placed into edit mode.

  Overrides:

  getEditProxyConstructor in class FormItem

  Returns:

  Current editProxyConstructor value. Default value is "TextAreaItemEditProxy"

  See Also:

  SCClassName

• setEnforceLength

  public TextAreaItem setEnforceLength(boolean enforceLength)

  If a length is specified for this item, should user input be limited to the specified length? If set to true, user input and values passed to setValue() will be trimmed to the specified length. Otherwise values exceeding the specified length will raise an error on validation.

  Note that having this value set to true limits user interactivity in some ways. For example users would be unable to paste a longer string into the field for editing without seeing it be truncated. Given how text areas are typically used to edit longer values than non-wrapping TextItems, this value is false by default for textAreaItems.

  Parameters:

  enforceLength - New enforceLength value. Default value is false

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

• getEnforceLength

  public boolean getEnforceLength()

  If a length is specified for this item, should user input be limited to the specified length? If set to true, user input and values passed to setValue() will be trimmed to the specified length. Otherwise values exceeding the specified length will raise an error on validation.

  Note that having this value set to true limits user interactivity in some ways. For example users would be unable to paste a longer string into the field for editing without seeing it be truncated. Given how text areas are typically used to edit longer values than non-wrapping TextItems, this value is false by default for textAreaItems.

  Returns:

  Current enforceLength value. Default value is false

• setEscapeHTML

  public TextAreaItem setEscapeHTML(java.lang.Boolean escapeHTML)

  By default HTML characters will be escaped when canEdit is false and readOnlyDisplay is "static", so that the raw value of the field (for example "<b>AAA</b>") is displayed to the user rather than the interpreted HTML (for example "AAA"). Setting escapeHTML false will instead force HTML values in a textAreaItem to be interpreted by the browser in that situation.

  Overrides:

  setEscapeHTML in class FormItem

  Parameters:

  escapeHTML - New escapeHTML value. Default value is true

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

  See Also:

  Appearance overview and related methods

• getEscapeHTML

  public java.lang.Boolean getEscapeHTML()

  By default HTML characters will be escaped when canEdit is false and readOnlyDisplay is "static", so that the raw value of the field (for example "<b>AAA</b>") is displayed to the user rather than the interpreted HTML (for example "AAA"). Setting escapeHTML false will instead force HTML values in a textAreaItem to be interpreted by the browser in that situation.

  Overrides:

  getEscapeHTML in class FormItem

  Returns:

  Current escapeHTML value. Default value is true

  See Also:

  Appearance overview and related methods

• setFormatOnBlur

  public TextAreaItem setFormatOnBlur(java.lang.Boolean formatOnBlur)

  With formatOnBlur enabled, this textAreaItem will format its value according to the rules described in FormItem.mapValueToDisplay() as long as the item does not have focus. Once the user puts focus into the item the formatter will be removed. This provides a simple way for developers to show a nicely formatted display value in a freeform text field, without the need for an explicit FormItem.formatEditorValue() and FormItem.parseEditorValue() pair.

  Parameters:

  formatOnBlur - New formatOnBlur value. Default value is false

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

• getFormatOnBlur

  public java.lang.Boolean getFormatOnBlur()

  With formatOnBlur enabled, this textAreaItem will format its value according to the rules described in FormItem.mapValueToDisplay() as long as the item does not have focus. Once the user puts focus into the item the formatter will be removed. This provides a simple way for developers to show a nicely formatted display value in a freeform text field, without the need for an explicit FormItem.formatEditorValue() and FormItem.parseEditorValue() pair.

  Returns:

  Current formatOnBlur value. Default value is false

• setHeight

  public TextAreaItem setHeight(int height)

  Default height of this item

  Note that when item is rendered as read-only with readOnlyDisplay as "static" the property FormItem.staticHeight is used instead.

  Overrides:

  setHeight in class FormItem

  Parameters:

  height - New height value. Default value is 100

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

  See Also:

  Appearance overview and related methods

• getHeight

  public int getHeight()

  Default height of this item

  Note that when item is rendered as read-only with readOnlyDisplay as "static" the property FormItem.staticHeight is used instead.

  Overrides:

  getHeight in class FormItem

  Returns:

  Current height value. Default value is 100

  See Also:

  Appearance overview and related methods

• setIconVAlign

  public TextAreaItem setIconVAlign(VerticalAlignment iconVAlign)

  Align icons with the top edge of text area icons by default.

  Overrides:

  setIconVAlign in class FormItem

  Parameters:

  iconVAlign - New iconVAlign value. Default value is Canvas.TOP

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

• getIconVAlign

  public VerticalAlignment getIconVAlign()

  Align icons with the top edge of text area icons by default.

  Overrides:

  getIconVAlign in class FormItem

  Returns:

  Current iconVAlign value. Default value is Canvas.TOP

• setLength

  public TextAreaItem setLength(java.lang.Integer length)

  If set, maximum number of characters for this field. If enforceLength is set to true, user input will be limited to this value, and values exceeding this length passed to setValue() will be trimmed. Otherwise values exceeding the specified length will raise an error on validation.

  See also DataSourceField.length.

  Parameters:

  length - New length value. Default value is null

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

  See Also:

  Validation overview and related methods

• getLength

  public java.lang.Integer getLength()

  If set, maximum number of characters for this field. If enforceLength is set to true, user input will be limited to this value, and values exceeding this length passed to setValue() will be trimmed. Otherwise values exceeding the specified length will raise an error on validation.

  See also DataSourceField.length.

  Returns:

  Current length value. Default value is null

  See Also:

  Validation overview and related methods

• setMinHeight

  public TextAreaItem setMinHeight(int minHeight)

  Minimum valid height for this TextAreaItem in px. If the specified height is less than this value, the text area will still render at this height.

  Parameters:

  minHeight - New minHeight value. Default value is 16

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

• getMinHeight

  public int getMinHeight()

  Minimum valid height for this TextAreaItem in px. If the specified height is less than this value, the text area will still render at this height.

  Returns:

  Current minHeight value. Default value is 16

• setPickerIconHeight

  public TextAreaItem setPickerIconHeight(java.lang.Integer pickerIconHeight)

  TextAreaItem has an explicit pickerIconHeight as we don't want the picker icon, if shown, to size itself to match the height of the item.

  Overrides:

  setPickerIconHeight in class FormItem

  Parameters:

  pickerIconHeight - New pickerIconHeight value. Default value is 20

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

• getPickerIconHeight

  public java.lang.Integer getPickerIconHeight()

  TextAreaItem has an explicit pickerIconHeight as we don't want the picker icon, if shown, to size itself to match the height of the item.

  Overrides:

  getPickerIconHeight in class FormItem

  Returns:

  Current pickerIconHeight value. Default value is 20

• setPrintFullText

  public TextAreaItem setPrintFullText(java.lang.Boolean printFullText)

  When generating a print-view of the component containing this TextArea, should the form item expand to accommodate its value? If set to false the text box not expand to fit its content in the print view, instead showing exactly as it does in the live form, possibly with scrollbars.

  Parameters:

  printFullText - New printFullText value. Default value is true

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

  See Also:

  Printing

• getPrintFullText

  public java.lang.Boolean getPrintFullText()

  When generating a print-view of the component containing this TextArea, should the form item expand to accommodate its value? If set to false the text box not expand to fit its content in the print view, instead showing exactly as it does in the live form, possibly with scrollbars.

  Returns:

  Current printFullText value. Default value is true

  See Also:

  Printing

• setSelectOnClick

  public TextAreaItem setSelectOnClick(java.lang.Boolean selectOnClick)

  Allows the selectOnClick behavior to be configured on a per-FormItem basis. Normally all items in a form default to the value of DynamicForm.selectOnClick.

  Overrides:

  setSelectOnClick in class FormItem

  Parameters:

  selectOnClick - New selectOnClick value. Default value is null

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

  See Also:

  Focus

• getSelectOnClick

  public java.lang.Boolean getSelectOnClick()

  Allows the selectOnClick behavior to be configured on a per-FormItem basis. Normally all items in a form default to the value of DynamicForm.selectOnClick.

  Overrides:

  getSelectOnClick in class FormItem

  Returns:

  Current selectOnClick value. Default value is null

  See Also:

  Focus

• setSelectOnFocus

  public TextAreaItem setSelectOnFocus(java.lang.Boolean selectOnFocus)

  Allows the selectOnFocus behavior to be configured on a per-FormItem basis. Normally all items in a form default to the value of DynamicForm.selectOnFocus.

  Overrides:

  setSelectOnFocus in class FormItem

  Parameters:

  selectOnFocus - New selectOnFocus value. Default value is null

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

  See Also:

  Focus

• getSelectOnFocus

  public java.lang.Boolean getSelectOnFocus()

  Allows the selectOnFocus behavior to be configured on a per-FormItem basis. Normally all items in a form default to the value of DynamicForm.selectOnFocus.

  Overrides:

  getSelectOnFocus in class FormItem

  Returns:

  Current selectOnFocus value. Default value is null

  See Also:

  Focus

• setShowHintInField

  public TextAreaItem setShowHintInField(java.lang.Boolean showHintInField)

  If showing a hint for this form item, should the hint be shown within the field?

  Unless the HTML5 placeholder attribute is used to display the hint (see usePlaceholderForHint), the value of the <input> element for this item will be set to the hint whenever this item is not focused. Also, when displaying the hint, the CSS style of the data element will be set to the textBoxStyle with the suffix "Hint" appended to it; or, if the item is disabled, the suffix "DisabledHint" will be used. In RTL mode when showRTL is true, an additional "RTL" suffix will be appended; i.e. the CSS style of the data element when the hint is displayed will be the textBoxStyle plus "HintRTL" or "DisabledHintRTL".

  To change this attribute after being drawn, it is necessary to call FormItem.redraw() or redraw the form.

  Styling the in-field hint

  The in-field hint can be styled with CSS for the textBoxStyle + "Hint" / "HintRTL" / "DisabledHint" / "DisabledHintRTL" styles. For example, if this item's textBoxStyle is set to "mySpecialItem", then changing the hint color to blue can be accomplished with the following CSS:

  .mySpecialItemHint,
   .mySpecialItemHintRTL,
   .mySpecialItemDisabledHint,
   .mySpecialItemDisabledHintRTL {
       color: blue;
   }

  In DynamicForm.linearMode, this property will be defaulted true if left unset.

  Parameters:

  showHintInField - New showHintInField value. Default value is null

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

  See Also:

  FormItem.setHint(java.lang.String), setUsePlaceholderForHint(boolean), Appearance overview and related methods

• getShowHintInField

  public java.lang.Boolean getShowHintInField()

  If showing a hint for this form item, should the hint be shown within the field?

  Unless the HTML5 placeholder attribute is used to display the hint (see usePlaceholderForHint), the value of the <input> element for this item will be set to the hint whenever this item is not focused. Also, when displaying the hint, the CSS style of the data element will be set to the textBoxStyle with the suffix "Hint" appended to it; or, if the item is disabled, the suffix "DisabledHint" will be used. In RTL mode when showRTL is true, an additional "RTL" suffix will be appended; i.e. the CSS style of the data element when the hint is displayed will be the textBoxStyle plus "HintRTL" or "DisabledHintRTL".

  To change this attribute after being drawn, it is necessary to call FormItem.redraw() or redraw the form.

  Styling the in-field hint

  The in-field hint can be styled with CSS for the textBoxStyle + "Hint" / "HintRTL" / "DisabledHint" / "DisabledHintRTL" styles. For example, if this item's textBoxStyle is set to "mySpecialItem", then changing the hint color to blue can be accomplished with the following CSS:

  .mySpecialItemHint,
   .mySpecialItemHintRTL,
   .mySpecialItemDisabledHint,
   .mySpecialItemDisabledHintRTL {
       color: blue;
   }

  In DynamicForm.linearMode, this property will be defaulted true if left unset.

  Returns:

  Current showHintInField value. Default value is null

  See Also:

  FormItem.getHint(), getUsePlaceholderForHint(), Appearance overview and related methods

• setShowInputElement

  public TextAreaItem setShowInputElement(boolean showInputElement)

  When set to false, prevents this item's input element from being written into the DOM. If there are valueIcons or a picker icon, these are displayed as normal, and the item will auto-sizing to that content if its width is set to null.

  Note : This is an advanced setting

  Parameters:

  showInputElement - New showInputElement value. Default value is true

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

• getShowInputElement

  public boolean getShowInputElement()

  When set to false, prevents this item's input element from being written into the DOM. If there are valueIcons or a picker icon, these are displayed as normal, and the item will auto-sizing to that content if its width is set to null.

  Returns:

  Current showInputElement value. Default value is true

• setStaticHeight

  public TextAreaItem setStaticHeight(java.lang.Integer staticHeight)

  Height of the FormItem when canEdit is false and readOnlyDisplay is "static". The normal height is used if this property is not set.

  Overrides:

  setStaticHeight in class FormItem

  Parameters:

  staticHeight - New staticHeight value. Default value is 1

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

  See Also:

  setHeight(int), Form Layout

• getStaticHeight

  public java.lang.Integer getStaticHeight()

  Height of the FormItem when canEdit is false and readOnlyDisplay is "static". The normal height is used if this property is not set.

  Overrides:

  getStaticHeight in class FormItem

  Returns:

  Current staticHeight value. Default value is 1

  See Also:

  getHeight(), Form Layout

• setSupportsCutPasteEvents

  public TextAreaItem setSupportsCutPasteEvents(boolean supportsCutPasteEvents)

  Does the current formItem support native cut and paste events?

  This attribute only applies to freeform text entry fields such as TextItem and TextAreaItem, and only if changeOnKeypress is true. If true, developers can detect the user editing the value via cut or paste interactions (triggered from keyboard shortcuts or the native browser menu options) using the FormItem.isCutEvent() and FormItem.isPasteEvent() methods. This allows custom cut/paste handling to be added to the various change notification flow methods including FormItem.change(), and FormItem.transformInput().

  Overrides:

  setSupportsCutPasteEvents in class FormItem

  Parameters:

  supportsCutPasteEvents - New supportsCutPasteEvents value. Default value is true

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

• getSupportsCutPasteEvents

  public boolean getSupportsCutPasteEvents()

  Does the current formItem support native cut and paste events?

  This attribute only applies to freeform text entry fields such as TextItem and TextAreaItem, and only if changeOnKeypress is true. If true, developers can detect the user editing the value via cut or paste interactions (triggered from keyboard shortcuts or the native browser menu options) using the FormItem.isCutEvent() and FormItem.isPasteEvent() methods. This allows custom cut/paste handling to be added to the various change notification flow methods including FormItem.change(), and FormItem.transformInput().

  Overrides:

  getSupportsCutPasteEvents in class FormItem

  Returns:

  Current supportsCutPasteEvents value. Default value is true

• setTextBoxStyle

  public TextAreaItem setTextBoxStyle(java.lang.String textBoxStyle)

  Base CSS class to apply to this item's input element. NOTE: See the CompoundFormItem_skinning discussion for special skinning considerations.

  Overrides:

  setTextBoxStyle in class FormItem

  Parameters:

  textBoxStyle - New textBoxStyle value. Default value is "textItem"

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

  See Also:

  FormItemBaseStyle, Appearance overview and related methods

• getTextBoxStyle

  public java.lang.String getTextBoxStyle()

  Base CSS class to apply to this item's input element. NOTE: See the CompoundFormItem_skinning discussion for special skinning considerations.

  Overrides:

  getTextBoxStyle in class FormItem

  Returns:

  Current textBoxStyle value. Default value is "textItem"

  See Also:

  FormItemBaseStyle, Appearance overview and related methods

• setUsePlaceholderForHint

  public TextAreaItem setUsePlaceholderForHint(boolean usePlaceholderForHint)

  If showing the hint in field and if supported by the browser, should the HTML5 placeholder attribute be used to display the hint within the field? If set to false, then use of the placeholder attribute is disabled and an alternative technique to display the hint in-field is used instead.

  The HTML5 placeholder attribute is supported in the following major browsers:

  • Chrome 4+
  • Firefox 4+
  • Internet Explorer 10+
  • Safari 5+
  • Opera 11.50+
  • Android 2.1+ WebView (used by the stock Browser app and when packaging with PhoneGap)
  • Mobile Safari for iOS 3.2+

  In browsers other than the above, in-field hints are implemented via a different technique.

  Note that placeholder behavior is known to differ in Internet Explorer and certain old versions of the above browsers due to a recent change in the HTML5 specification regarding the placeholder attribute. Under the old rules, the placeholder is cleared when the element is focused. In the latest HTML5 spec as published by WHATWG, the placeholder is still displayed when the element is focused as long as the value is an empty string.

  Styling the placeholder

  While there isn't a standard way to style the placeholder text, Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari provide vendor-prefixed pseudo-classes and/or pseudo-elements that can be used in CSS selectors:

  Browser	Pseudo-class or pseudo-element
  Chrome, Safari	::-webkit-input-placeholder
  Firefox 4 - 18	:-moz-placeholder
  Firefox 19+	::-moz-placeholder
  Internet Explorer	:-ms-input-placeholder

  Note that unlike other browsers, Firefox 19+ applies opacity:0.4 to the placeholder text. See Bug 556145 - Placeholder text default style should use opacity instead of GrayText

  Because browsers are required to ignore the entire rule if a selector is invalid, separate rules are needed for each browser. For example:

  ::-webkit-input-placeholder {
       color: blue;
       opacity: 1;
   }
   :-moz-placeholder {
       color: blue;
       opacity: 1;
   }
   ::-moz-placeholder {
       color: blue;
       opacity: 1;
   }
   :-ms-input-placeholder {
       color: blue;
       opacity: 1;
   }

  If using Sass, it may be useful to utilize Sass' parent selector feature. For example:

  .myCustomItem,
   .myCustomItemRTL,
   .myCustomItemDisabled,
   .myCustomItemDisabledRTL,
   .myCustomItemError,
   .myCustomItemErrorRTL,
   .myCustomItemFocused,
   .myCustomItemFocusedRTL,
   .myCustomItemHint,
   .myCustomItemHintRTL,
   .myCustomItemDisabledHint,
   .myCustomItemDisabledHintRTL {
       // ...
   
       &::-webkit-input-placeholder {
           color: blue;
           opacity: 1;
       }
       &:-moz-placeholder {
           color: blue;
           opacity: 1;
       }
       &::-moz-placeholder {
           color: blue;
           opacity: 1;
       }
       &:-ms-input-placeholder {
           color: blue;
           opacity: 1;
       }
   }

  If using Compass, the input-placeholder mixin that was added in version 1.0 can further simplify the code to style the placeholder text For example:

  .myCustomItem,
   .myCustomItemRTL,
   .myCustomItemDisabled,
   .myCustomItemDisabledRTL,
   .myCustomItemError,
   .myCustomItemErrorRTL,
   .myCustomItemFocused,
   .myCustomItemFocusedRTL,
   .myCustomItemHint,
   .myCustomItemHintRTL,
   .myCustomItemDisabledHint,
   .myCustomItemDisabledHintRTL {
       // ...
   
       @include input-placeholder {
           color: blue;
           opacity: 1;
       }
   }

  Accessibility concerns

  The HTML5 specification notes that a placeholder should not be used as a replacement for a title. The placeholder is intended to be a short hint that assists the user who is entering a value into the empty field. The placeholder can be mistaken by some users for a pre-filled value, particularly in Internet Explorer because the same color is used, and the placeholder text color may provide insufficient contrast, particularly in Firefox 19+ because of the default 0.4 opacity. Furthermore, not having a title reduces the hit area available for setting focus on the item.

  Note : This is an advanced setting

  Parameters:

  usePlaceholderForHint - New usePlaceholderForHint value. Default value is true

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

  See Also:

  FormItem.setHint(java.lang.String), Appearance overview and related methods

• getUsePlaceholderForHint

  public boolean getUsePlaceholderForHint()

  If showing the hint in field and if supported by the browser, should the HTML5 placeholder attribute be used to display the hint within the field? If set to false, then use of the placeholder attribute is disabled and an alternative technique to display the hint in-field is used instead.

  The HTML5 placeholder attribute is supported in the following major browsers:

  • Chrome 4+
  • Firefox 4+
  • Internet Explorer 10+
  • Safari 5+
  • Opera 11.50+
  • Android 2.1+ WebView (used by the stock Browser app and when packaging with PhoneGap)
  • Mobile Safari for iOS 3.2+

  In browsers other than the above, in-field hints are implemented via a different technique.

  Note that placeholder behavior is known to differ in Internet Explorer and certain old versions of the above browsers due to a recent change in the HTML5 specification regarding the placeholder attribute. Under the old rules, the placeholder is cleared when the element is focused. In the latest HTML5 spec as published by WHATWG, the placeholder is still displayed when the element is focused as long as the value is an empty string.

  Styling the placeholder

  While there isn't a standard way to style the placeholder text, Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari provide vendor-prefixed pseudo-classes and/or pseudo-elements that can be used in CSS selectors:

  Browser	Pseudo-class or pseudo-element
  Chrome, Safari	::-webkit-input-placeholder
  Firefox 4 - 18	:-moz-placeholder
  Firefox 19+	::-moz-placeholder
  Internet Explorer	:-ms-input-placeholder

  Note that unlike other browsers, Firefox 19+ applies opacity:0.4 to the placeholder text. See Bug 556145 - Placeholder text default style should use opacity instead of GrayText

  Because browsers are required to ignore the entire rule if a selector is invalid, separate rules are needed for each browser. For example:

  ::-webkit-input-placeholder {
       color: blue;
       opacity: 1;
   }
   :-moz-placeholder {
       color: blue;
       opacity: 1;
   }
   ::-moz-placeholder {
       color: blue;
       opacity: 1;
   }
   :-ms-input-placeholder {
       color: blue;
       opacity: 1;
   }

  If using Sass, it may be useful to utilize Sass' parent selector feature. For example:

  .myCustomItem,
   .myCustomItemRTL,
   .myCustomItemDisabled,
   .myCustomItemDisabledRTL,
   .myCustomItemError,
   .myCustomItemErrorRTL,
   .myCustomItemFocused,
   .myCustomItemFocusedRTL,
   .myCustomItemHint,
   .myCustomItemHintRTL,
   .myCustomItemDisabledHint,
   .myCustomItemDisabledHintRTL {
       // ...
   
       &::-webkit-input-placeholder {
           color: blue;
           opacity: 1;
       }
       &:-moz-placeholder {
           color: blue;
           opacity: 1;
       }
       &::-moz-placeholder {
           color: blue;
           opacity: 1;
       }
       &:-ms-input-placeholder {
           color: blue;
           opacity: 1;
       }
   }

  If using Compass, the input-placeholder mixin that was added in version 1.0 can further simplify the code to style the placeholder text For example:

  .myCustomItem,
   .myCustomItemRTL,
   .myCustomItemDisabled,
   .myCustomItemDisabledRTL,
   .myCustomItemError,
   .myCustomItemErrorRTL,
   .myCustomItemFocused,
   .myCustomItemFocusedRTL,
   .myCustomItemHint,
   .myCustomItemHintRTL,
   .myCustomItemDisabledHint,
   .myCustomItemDisabledHintRTL {
       // ...
   
       @include input-placeholder {
           color: blue;
           opacity: 1;
       }
   }

  Accessibility concerns

  The HTML5 specification notes that a placeholder should not be used as a replacement for a title. The placeholder is intended to be a short hint that assists the user who is entering a value into the empty field. The placeholder can be mistaken by some users for a pre-filled value, particularly in Internet Explorer because the same color is used, and the placeholder text color may provide insufficient contrast, particularly in Firefox 19+ because of the default 0.4 opacity. Furthermore, not having a title reduces the hit area available for setting focus on the item.

  Returns:

  Current usePlaceholderForHint value. Default value is true

  See Also:

  FormItem.getHint(), Appearance overview and related methods

• setWidth

  public TextAreaItem setWidth(int width)

  default width of this item

  Overrides:

  setWidth in class FormItem

  Parameters:

  width - New width value. Default value is 150

  Returns:

  TextAreaItem instance, for chaining setter calls

  See Also:

  Appearance overview and related methods

• getWidth

  public int getWidth()

  default width of this item

  Overrides:

  getWidth in class FormItem

  Returns:

  Current width value. Default value is 150

  See Also:

  Appearance overview and related methods

• deselectValue

  public void deselectValue()

  If this item currently has focus, clear the current selection. leaving focus in the item. Has no effect if the item is undrawn or unfocused. Only applies to text-based items.

• deselectValue

  public void deselectValue(java.lang.Boolean start)

  If this item currently has focus, clear the current selection. leaving focus in the item. Has no effect if the item is undrawn or unfocused. Only applies to text-based items.

  Parameters:

  start - By default the text insertion cursor will be moved to the end of the current value - pass in this parameter to move to the start instead

• getEnteredValue

  public java.lang.String getEnteredValue()

  Returns the raw text value that currently appears in the text field, which can differ from FormItem.getValue() in various cases - for example:

  • for items that constrain the value range, such as a DateItem with enforceDate:true, or a ComboBoxItem with addUnknownValues:false
  • for items with a defined valueMap or edit value formatter and parser functions which converts display value to data value
  • while the item has focus if changeOnKeypress is false

  Returns:

  current entered value

• getSelectionRange

  public int[] getSelectionRange()

  For text-based items, this method returns the indices of the start/end of the current selection if the item currently has the focus. In browsers other than Internet Explorer 6-9, if this item does not have focus, then this method returns the indices of the start/end of the selection the last time that this item had focus. In IE 6-9, returns null if the item does not have focus.

  In all browsers, clicking anywhere outside of the item causes the item to lose focus; hence, in IE 6-9, this method will not work in other components' event handlers for certain events. For example, within the click() handler of a button, this item will have already lost focus, so in IE 6-9, this method will return null if called within the button's click() handler. One cross-browser solution to this issue is to save the selection range for later in a mouseDown() or mouseOver() handler.

  Notes:

  • In browsers other than IE 6-9, calling setValue() or otherwise changing the entered value invalidates the past selection range.
  • The returned indices are indices within the entered value rather than the item's value as returned by getValue(). The distinction is particularly important for TextAreaItems because browsers normalize the line endings in the <textarea> element's value. Internet Explorer 6, 7, and 8 convert line endings to "\r\n" while other browsers convert line endings to "\n" as specified by the HTML5 standard.

  Returns:

  2 element array showing character index of the current or past selection's start and end points within this item's entered value. In IE 6-9, returns null if the item does not have focus.

• selectValue

  public void selectValue()

  Put focus in this item and select the entire value. Only applies to text based items

• setSelectionRange

  public void setSelectionRange(int start,
                                int end)

  Puts focus into this form item and selects characters between the given indices. Only applies to drawn text based items.

  Parameters:

  start - selection starting character index

  end - end of selection character index

• transformPastedValue

  public java.lang.String transformPastedValue(FormItem item,
                                               DynamicForm form,
                                               java.lang.String pastedValue)

  Notification fired in response to a clipboard "paste" event on freeform text items, giving developers an opportunity to reformat the pasted text. The pastedValue argument contains the text pasted from the clipboard. This method should return the text value to actually insert into the input element.

  Parameters:

  item - Item into which the user pasted a value

  form - Pointer to the item's form

  pastedValue - Pasted text value

  Returns:

  Reformatted version of the pasted text.

• setDefaultProperties

  public static void setDefaultProperties(TextAreaItem textAreaItemProperties)

  Class level method to set the default properties of this class. If set, then all existing and subsequently created instances of this class will automatically have default properties corresponding to the properties of the class instance passed to this function. This is a powerful feature that eliminates the need for users to create a separate hierarchy of subclasses that only alter the default properties of this class. Can also be used for skinning / styling purposes.

  Note: This method is intended for setting default attributes only and will affect all instances of the underlying class (including those automatically generated in JavaScript). This method should not be used to apply standard EventHandlers or override methods for a class - use a custom subclass instead. Calling this method after instances have been created can result in undefined behavior, since it bypasses any setters and a class instance may have already examined a particular property and not be expecting any changes through this route.

  Parameters:

  textAreaItemProperties - properties that should be used as new defaults when instances of this class are created

  See Also:

  SGWTProperties

• setWrap

  public void setWrap(TextAreaWrap wrap)

  Text wrapping style.

  Parameters:

  wrap - wrap Default value is TextAreaWrap.SOFT

• getWrap

  public TextAreaWrap getWrap()

  Text wrapping style.

  Returns:

  TextAreaWrap

• getValueAsString

  public java.lang.String getValueAsString()

  Return the value tracked by this form item.

  Returns:

  value of this element