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

TextField Limit Character After Block the Text in Swift 4

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


    if textField == self.txtDescription {
        let maxLength = 200
        let currentString: NSString = textField.text! as NSString
        let newString: NSString = currentString.replacingCharacters(in: range, with: string) as NSString
        return newString.length <= maxLength
    }

    return true


}

Answer 2

Simple solution without using delegate:

TEXT_FIELD.addTarget(self, action: #selector(editingChanged(sender:)), for: .editingChanged)


@objc private func editingChanged(sender: UITextField) {

        if let text = sender.text, text.count >= MAX_LENGHT {
            sender.text = String(text.dropLast(text.count - MAX_LENGHT))
            return
        }
}

Answer 3

Here's a Swift 3.2+ alternative that avoids unnecessary string manipulation. In this case, the maximum length is 10:

func textField(_ textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersIn range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
    let text = textField.text ?? ""

    return text.count - range.length + string.count <= 10
}

Answer 4

I use this step, first Set delegate texfield in viewdidload.

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        textfield.delegate = self

    }

and then shouldChangeCharactersIn after you include UITextFieldDelegate.

extension viewController: UITextFieldDelegate {
    func textField(_ textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersIn range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
                let newLength = (textField.text?.utf16.count)! + string.utf16.count - range.length
                if newLength <= 8 { 
                    return true
                } else {
                    return false
                }
            }
    }

Answer 5

This answer is for Swift 4, and is pretty straight forward with the ability to let backspace through.

func textField(_ textField: UITextField, 
               shouldChangeCharactersIn range: NSRange, 
               replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
    return textField.text!.count < 10 || string == ""
}

Answer 6

update for this Fattie answer

thanks

extension UITextField {

    /// Runtime key
    private struct AssociatedKeys {
        /// max lenght key
        static var maxlength: UInt8 = 0
        /// temp string key
        static var tempString: UInt8 = 0
    }

    /// Limit the maximum input length of the textfiled
    @IBInspectable var maxLength: Int {
        get {
            return objc_getAssociatedObject(self, &AssociatedKeys.maxlength) as? Int ?? 0
        }
        set {
            objc_setAssociatedObject(self, &AssociatedKeys.maxlength, newValue, objc_AssociationPolicy.OBJC_ASSOCIATION_RETAIN_NONATOMIC)
            addTarget(self, action: #selector(handleEditingChanged(textField:)), for: .editingChanged)
        }
    }

    /// temp string
    private var tempString: String? {
        get {
            return objc_getAssociatedObject(self, &AssociatedKeys.tempString) as? String
        }
        set {
            objc_setAssociatedObject(self, &AssociatedKeys.tempString, newValue, objc_AssociationPolicy.OBJC_ASSOCIATION_RETAIN_NONATOMIC)
        }
    }

    /// When the text changes, process the amount of text in the input box so that its length is within the controllable range.
    @objc private func handleEditingChanged(textField: UITextField) {

        /// Special Processing for Chinese Input Method
        guard markedTextRange == nil else { return }

        if textField.text?.count == maxLength {

            /// SET lastQualifiedString where text length == max lenght
            tempString = textField.text
        } else if textField.text?.count ?? 0 < maxLength {

            /// clear lastQualifiedString when text lengeht > maxlength
            tempString = nil
        }

        /// keep current text range in arcgives
        let archivesEditRange: UITextRange?

        if textField.text?.count ?? 0 > maxLength {

            /// if text length > maxlength,remove last range,to move to -1 postion.
            let position = textField.position(from: safeTextPosition(selectedTextRange?.start), offset: -1) ?? textField.endOfDocument
            archivesEditRange = textField.textRange(from: safeTextPosition(position), to: safeTextPosition(position))
        } else {

            /// just set current select text range
            archivesEditRange = selectedTextRange
        }

        /// main handle string max length
        textField.text = tempString ?? String((textField.text ?? "").prefix(maxLength))

        /// last config edit text range
        textField.selectedTextRange = archivesEditRange
    }

    /// get safe textPosition
    private func safeTextPosition(_ optionlTextPosition: UITextPosition?) -> UITextPosition {

        /* beginningOfDocument -> The end of the the text document. */
        return optionlTextPosition ?? endOfDocument
    }
}