Set the maximum character length of a UITextField

Question

I know there are other topics on this but I can't seem to find out how to implement it.

I'm trying to limit a UITextField to only 5 Characters

Preferably Alphanumeric and - and . and _

I've seen this code

func textField(textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersInRange range: NSRange,
                       replacementString string: String) -> Bool
{
    let maxLength = 4
    let currentString: NSString = textField.text
    let newString: NSString =
             currentString.stringByReplacingCharactersInRange(range, withString: string)
    return newString.length <= maxLength
}

and

func textField(textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersInRange range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {

    let length = count(textField.text.utf16) + count(string.utf16) - range.length
    return length <= 10 
}

I just don't know how to actually implement it or which "textfield" should I swap out for my custom named UITextField

Answer 1

1. Your view controller should conform to UITextFieldDelegate, like below:

   class MyViewController: UIViewController, UITextFieldDelegate {
   
   }
   

2. Set the delegate of your textfield: myTextField.delegate = self

3. Implement the method in your view controller : textField(_:shouldChangeCharactersInRange:replacementString:)

All together:

class MyViewController: UIViewController,UITextFieldDelegate  //set delegate to class 

@IBOutlet var mytextField: UITextField             //  textfield variable 

override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    mytextField.delegate = self                  //set delegate
}


func textField(textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersInRange range: NSRange,
                       replacementString string: String) -> Bool
{
    let maxLength = 4
    let currentString: NSString = textField.text
    let newString: NSString =
             currentString.stringByReplacingCharactersInRange(range, withString: string)
    return newString.length <= maxLength
}

For Swift 4

func textField(_ textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersIn range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
    let maxLength = 1
    let currentString: NSString = textField.text! as NSString
    let newString: NSString =
        currentString.replacingCharacters(in: range, with: string) as NSString
    return newString.length <= maxLength
}

Allowing only a specified set of characters to be entered into a given text field

func textField(textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersInRange range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
  var result = true

  if mytextField == numberField {
    if count(string) > 0 {
      let disallowedCharacterSet = NSCharacterSet(charactersInString: "0123456789.-").invertedSet
      let replacementStringIsLegal = string.rangeOfCharacterFromSet(disallowedCharacterSet) == nil
      result = replacementStringIsLegal
    }
  }

  return result
}

How to program an iOS text field that takes only numeric input with a maximum length

Answer 2

My Swift 4 version of shouldChangeCharactersIn

func textField(_ textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersIn range: NSRange,
               replacementString string: String) -> Bool {

        guard let preText = textField.text as NSString?,
            preText.replacingCharacters(in: range, with: string).count <= MAX_TEXT_LENGTH else {
            return false
        }

        return true
    }

Answer 3

I give a supplementary answer based on @Frouo. I think his answer is the most beautiful way. Becuase it's a common control we can reuse. And there is no leak problem here.

    private var kAssociationKeyMaxLength: Int = 0

    extension UITextField {

        @IBInspectable var maxLength: Int {
            get {
                if let length = objc_getAssociatedObject(self, &kAssociationKeyMaxLength) as? Int {
                    return length
                } else {
                    return Int.max
                }
            }
            set {
                objc_setAssociatedObject(self, &kAssociationKeyMaxLength, newValue, .OBJC_ASSOCIATION_RETAIN)
                self.addTarget(self, action: #selector(checkMaxLength), for: .editingChanged)
            }
        }

//The method is used to cancel the check when use Chinese Pinyin input method.
        //Becuase the alphabet also appears in the textfield when inputting, we should cancel the check.
        func isInputMethod() -> Bool {
            if let positionRange = self.markedTextRange {
                if let _ = self.position(from: positionRange.start, offset: 0) {
                    return true
                }
            }
            return false
        }


        func checkMaxLength(textField: UITextField) {

            guard !self.isInputMethod(), let prospectiveText = self.text,
                prospectiveText.count > maxLength
                else {
                    return
            }

            let selection = selectedTextRange
            let maxCharIndex = prospectiveText.index(prospectiveText.startIndex, offsetBy: maxLength)
            text = prospectiveText.substring(to: maxCharIndex)
            selectedTextRange = selection
        }



    }

Answer 4

Simply just check with the number of characters in the string

1. Add a delegate to view controller ans asign delegate

    class YorsClassName : UITextFieldDelegate {

    }

2. check the number of chars allowed for textfield

func textField(_ textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersIn range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
    if textField.text?.count == 1 {
        return false
    }
    return true
}

Note: Here I checked for only char allowed in textField

Answer 5

Working In Swift4

// STEP 1 set UITextFieldDelegate

    class SignUPViewController: UIViewController , UITextFieldDelegate {

       @IBOutlet weak var userMobileNoTextFiled: UITextField!

        override func viewDidLoad() {
            super.viewDidLoad()

// STEP 2 set delegate
userMobileNoTextFiled.delegate = self //set delegate }

     func textField(_ textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersIn range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
    //        guard let text = userMobileNoTextFiled.text else { return true }
    //        let newLength = text.count + string.count - range.length
    //        return newLength <= 10
    //    }

// STEP 3 call func

        func textField(_ textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersIn range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
            let maxLength = 10          // set your need
            let currentString: NSString = textField.text! as NSString
            let newString: NSString =
                currentString.replacingCharacters(in: range, with: string) as NSString
            return newString.length <= maxLength
        }
    }

Answer 6

Swift 5
Credit: http://www.swiftdevcenter.com/max-character-limit-of-uitextfield-and-allowed-characters-swift/
Just write one to set max char length

 self.textField.maxLength = 10

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