Allow only Numbers for UITextField input
This is how you might handle the problem on a SSN verification field, you can modify the max length and remove the if
statement checking for keyboard type if you need to.
There is also logic to suppress the max length alerts when the user is typing as opposed to pasting data.
Within the context of this code, presentAlert()/presentAlert:
is just some basic function that presents a UIAlertController
(or a legacy UIAlertView
) using the message string passed.
Swift 5
// NOTE: This code assumes you have set the UITextField(s)'s delegate property to the
// object that will contain this code, because otherwise it would never be called.
//
// There are also some better stylistic approaches in Swift to avoid all the
// nested statements, but I wanted to keep the styles similar to allow others
// to contrast and compare between the two languages a little easier.
func textField(_ textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersIn range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
// Handle backspace/delete
guard !string.isEmpty else {
// Backspace detected, allow text change, no need to process the text any further
return true
}
// Input Validation
// Prevent invalid character input, if keyboard is numberpad
if textField.keyboardType == .numberPad {
// Check for invalid input characters
if CharacterSet(charactersIn: "0123456789").isSuperset(of: CharacterSet(charactersIn: string)) {
// Present alert so the user knows what went wrong
presentAlert("This field accepts only numeric entries.")
// Invalid characters detected, disallow text change
return false
}
}
// Length Processing
// Need to convert the NSRange to a Swift-appropriate type
if let text = textField.text, let range = Range(range, in: text) {
let proposedText = text.replacingCharacters(in: range, with: string)
// Check proposed text length does not exceed max character count
guard proposedText.count <= maxCharacters else {
// Present alert if pasting text
// easy: pasted data has a length greater than 1; who copy/pastes one character?
if string.count > 1 {
// Pasting text, present alert so the user knows what went wrong
presentAlert("Paste failed: Maximum character count exceeded.")
}
// Character count exceeded, disallow text change
return false
}
// Only enable the OK/submit button if they have entered all numbers for the last four
// of their SSN (prevents early submissions/trips to authentication server, etc)
answerButton.isEnabled = (proposedText.count == 4)
}
// Allow text change
return true
}
Objective-C
// NOTE: This code assumes you have set the UITextField(s)'s delegate property to the
// object that will contain this code, because otherwise it would never be called.
- (BOOL)textField:(UITextField *)textField shouldChangeCharactersInRange:(NSRange)range replacementString:(NSString *)string
{
// Handle backspace/delete
if (!string.length)
{
// Backspace detected, allow text change, no need to process the text any further
return YES;
}
// Input Validation
// Prevent invalid character input, if keyboard is numberpad
if (textField.keyboardType == UIKeyboardTypeNumberPad)
{
if ([string rangeOfCharacterFromSet:[NSCharacterSet decimalDigitCharacterSet].invertedSet].location != NSNotFound)
{
[self presentAlert: @"This field accepts only numeric entries."];
return NO;
}
}
// Length Validation
NSString *proposedText = [textField.text stringByReplacingCharactersInRange:range withString:string];
// Check proposed text length does not exceed max character count
if (proposedText.length > maxCharacters)
{
// Present alert if pasting text
// easy: pasted data has a length greater than 1; who copy/pastes one character?
if (string.length > 1)
{
// Pasting text, present alert so the user knows what went wrong
[self presentAlert: @"Paste failed: Maximum character count exceeded."];
}
// Character count exceeded, disallow text change
return NO;
}
// Only enable the OK/submit button if they have entered all numbers for the last four
// of their SSN (prevents early submissions/trips to authentication server, etc)
self.answerButton.enabled = (proposedText.length == maxCharacters);
// Allow text change
return YES;
}
Very specific steps for Swift code
You can provide logic that restricts the text field's input in the func textField(textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersInRange range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool
method by implementing the UITextFieldDelegate
protocol.
For the sake of clarity, these steps assume that your storyboard contains a View Controller with a text field object that should only accept digits.
Create a custom class for the view controller that extends
UIViewController
. Make sure that the scene in your storyboard refers to the custom class by setting the custom class value in Xcode's Identity Inspector.import UIKit class YourCustomController: UIViewController { override func viewDidLoad() { super.viewDidLoad() } }
Create an outlet from your scene's text field to your custom View Controller.
class YourCustomController: UIViewController { @IBOutlet weak var numberField: UITextField! ... }
Apply the
UITextFieldDelegate
protocol in your custom view controller.class YourCustomController: UIViewController, UITextFieldDelegate { ... }
In your custom view controller's
viewDidLoad
method, assign your text field's delegate to your custom view controller class.override func viewDidLoad() { super.viewDidLoad() numberField.delegate = self }
Add the
UITextFieldDelegate
'sfunc textField(textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersInRange range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool
method.As a result of making your custom view controller the
numberField
's delegate in the previous step, this method will be called each time a user enters a character into the text field. If your method returnstrue
then the character will remain in the text field. If your method returnsfalse
then the character will not remain in the text field.The
string
parameter is the character being entered by the user. If thestring
character can be converted to anInt
then it is between 0 and 9; otherwise, it is some non-number character.class YourCustomController: UIViewController, UITextFieldDelegate { ... func textField(textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersInRange range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool { return Int(string) != nil } }
(See below for the full view controller code.)
Example View Controller with digits only text field
import UIKit
class YourCustomController: UIViewController, UITextFieldDelegate {
@IBOutlet weak var numberField: UITextField!
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
numberField.delegate = self
}
func textField(textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersInRange range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
return Int(string) != nil
}
}
Example View Controller with a Decimal text field
If you want to support a decimal number then take advantage of NSNumberFormatter
. See the code comments for the differences.
import UIKit
class YourCustomController: UIViewController, UITextFieldDelegate {
@IBOutlet weak var numberField: UITextField!
private var formatter: NSNumberFormatter!
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
numberField.delegate = self
// Initialize the formatter; minimum value is set to zero; style is Decimal.
formatter = NSNumberFormatter()
formatter.numberStyle = NSNumberFormatterStyle.DecimalStyle
formatter.minimum = 0
}
func textField(textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersInRange range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
// Combine the current text field value and the new string
// character. If it conforms to the formatter's settings then
// it is valid. If it doesn't then nil is returned and the
// string character should not be allowed in the text field.
return formatter.numberFromString("\(textField.text)\(string)") != nil
}
}
You can use this code to allow only number in textField.
Before that set delegate for textField
textFieldName.delegate=self;
or
[textFieldName setDelegate:self];
Than use this code to allow only digit to textField
- (BOOL) textField: (UITextField *)theTextField shouldChangeCharactersInRange:(NSRange)range replacementString: (NSString *)string {
//return yes or no after comparing the characters
// allow backspace
if (!string.length)
{
return YES;
}
////for Decimal value start//////This code use use for allowing single decimal value
// if ([theTextField.text rangeOfString:@"."].location == NSNotFound)
// {
// if ([string isEqualToString:@"."]) {
// return YES;
// }
// }
// else
// {
// if ([[theTextField.text substringFromIndex:[theTextField.text rangeOfString:@"."].location] length]>2) // this allow 2 digit after decimal
// {
// return NO;
// }
// }
////for Decimal value End//////This code use use for allowing single decimal value
// allow digit 0 to 9
if ([string intValue])
{
return YES;
}
return NO;
}
Try this to avoid textfield clearing issue
Swift 3.0
func textField(textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersInRange range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
guard NSCharacterSet(charactersInString: "0123456789").isSupersetOfSet(NSCharacterSet(charactersInString: string)) else {
return false
}
return true
}
Swift 4.0
func textField(_ textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersIn range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
guard CharacterSet(charactersIn: "0123456789").isSuperset(of: CharacterSet(charactersIn: string)) else {
return false
}
return true
}