I’m trying to make some NSTextFields only accept numeric characters (they’re for float editing). Here’s the gotcha: I want unpressed keys to be passed to the nextResponder (we have menus that act on non-cmd-key combinations).

What I’ve done so far is to make a custom class derived from NSTextView and modified my window’s delegate like this:

static OTEFloatTextView *s_FloatTextView = nil;

• (id)windowWillReturnFieldEditor:(NSWindow *)sender toObject:(id)anObject { if ([anObject isKindOfClass:[OTEProperFloatValueTextField class]]) { if (!s_FloatTextView) { s_FloatTextView = [[OTEFloatTextView alloc] init]; // Make the field editor move focus on tab, newline, etc… [s_FloatTextView setFieldEditor:YES]; } return s_FloatTextView; } return nil;

}

So, basically, if Cocoa needs a field editor for an OTEProperFloatValueTextField, I return this class instead:

@implementation OTEFloatTextView : NSTextView

// filter keydownevents

• (void)keyDown:(NSEvent *)theEvent { // first: if we have any control keys (except shift), we just pass on the event to the real field editor int flags = [theEvent modifierFlags] & NSDeviceIndependentModifierFlagsMask; if (flags & ~(NSShiftKeyMask | NSAlphaShiftKeyMask)) { [super keyDown: theEvent]; return; }

  NSString str = [theEvent characters]; if ([str length] < 2) { unichar c = [str characterAtIndex:0]; if ((c >= ‘0’ && c <= ‘9’) || c == ‘-‘ || c == ‘,’ || c == ‘.’ || c == 3 /enter / || c == ‘\n’ || c == ‘\t’ || c == 25 /shift-tab/ || c == 127 /backspace / || c == 13 / return */) { [super keyDown:theEvent]; return; } else { self nextResponder] keyDown: theEvent]; } } [[NSLog ([theEvent characters]); self nextResponder] keyDown: theEvent];

} @end

This all works, BUT: when i remove a custom textfield that has keyboard focus (by calling removeFromSuperView on a parent view), the textfield sends out an update action (from textDidEndEditing through [[NSTextView resignFirstResponder). This is laying havoc to my code (as this is done during cleanup and I’ve already deleted the object that recieves the vlaue).

To work around this, I could use a static “AreWeDeleting” bool and supress that action, but that seems like such a hack - especially when the built-in NSTextView doesn’t do this.

Anyone got an idea on how to solve this?

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Menu shortcuts operate in performKeyEquivalent: which fires long before this code, so I’m doubtful that you even need it. An NSFormatter ought to do just fine.

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Nope - if I have focus on a text field and press a key used by a menu, the texfield gets (and uses) the keypress - which makes a lot of sense. So I’m still stuck

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If the NSEvent doesn’t have the NSCommandKeyMask modifier, it doesn’t get passed to the menu first. You can do something like this:

• (void)keyDown:(NSEvent *)anEvent { if([[NSApp mainMenu] performKeyEquivalent:anEvent]) return; // …

Also, before you send -removeFromSuperview you should send -[NSWindow makeFirstResponder:] with a different view (or nil) to allow it to validate and end editing.