Detect continous touch on GUI button

Question

Below code use to implement the backspace button functionality which runs under a GUI button OnClick.

 public void BackSpace(InputField userField) {
        string textEnter = userField.text;
        string tempString = textEnter.Substring(0, textEnter.Length - 1);
        userField.text = tempString;
    }

It working fine and remove input text one at a time single button click. The problem is that I want to run this functions continuously as user press continuously the GUI button Just like your keyboard backspace button but sadly this is working only once as onClick work only once. Is there any event or trick available to detect continuous touch on GUI in order to run my desired code?

For any beginners googling here, here's an essay explaining how to access the "other" calls from something like a UI.Button http://stackoverflow.com/a/36046495/294884 — Fattie, Mar 29 '16 at 13:40
you should absolutely be using UnityEvent here. Make a script called BetterButton with a UnityEvent, Tap. To implement those two concepts use Fafase's code below. Then attach BetterButton to any button to make it into that type of button. Here is an explanation of "making your own" UnityEvent for any beginners googling along to here http://stackoverflow.com/questions/36244660/simple-event-system-in-unity/36249404#36249404 — Fattie, Mar 29 '16 at 13:46

Everts · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-29T06:41:29.653

2

You may want to look into the Selectable event system. You can implement the OnPonterDown and OnPointerUp so that the first set the triggering and the second stops it:

using UnityEngine.EventSystems;
public class Test : MonoBehaviour, IPointerDownHandler, IPointerUpHandler {
    [SerializeField]private InputField userField;
    #region IPointerUpHandler implementation
    private bool running =false;
    public void OnPointerUp (PointerEventData eventData)
    {
        running = false;
        if(timer < holdTime){ Tap(); }
        timer = 0.0f;
    }

    #endregion

    #region IPointerDownHandler implementation

    public void OnPointerDown (PointerEventData eventData)
    {
        running = true;
    }

    #endregion
    float timer = 0.0f;
    float holdTime = 0.25f;
    // Update is called once per frame
    void FixedUpdate () 
    {
        if(running){ 
           timer += Time.deltaTime;
           if(timer > holdTime)
                BackSpace();}
    }
    private void BackSpace() {
        string textEnter = userField.text;
        string tempString = textEnter.Substring(0, textEnter.Length - 1);
        userField.text = tempString;
    }
}

The fixed update makes it consistent over different devices. You could set your own update system to control the frequency.

edited Mar 29 '16 at 06:41

answered Mar 29 '16 at 05:29

Everts

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Thanks I have almost write the same code but i have stuck in string reference – Muhammad Faizan Khan Mar 29 '16 at 05:55
I added the method, the InputField becomes a global reference. – Everts Mar 29 '16 at 06:04
Thanks valuable update but the problem is now single touch click removing multiple input field items:( – Muhammad Faizan Khan Mar 29 '16 at 06:27
I just want to implement backspace button functionality throught the gui button both single touch and continous touch have to recognize but now single touch removing also multiple text items as the code written in update – Muhammad Faizan Khan Mar 29 '16 at 06:28
I made a quick update. So now, if you hold less than 0.25s, it is a tap, else it is a hold. That means a tap happens on release. – Everts Mar 29 '16 at 06:42
is this only a standard way ? you know setting time it seems nonprofessional way to do – Muhammad Faizan Khan Mar 29 '16 at 11:08
It is indeed a bit dirty but there is no proper other way. If you were using the Input.Touch system then you could read if touch is held or not. – Everts Mar 29 '16 at 11:12
@MuhammadFaizanKhan - the correct way to do it today is in my answer. (No offense to mate Everts! :) ) – Fattie Apr 19 '19 at 12:03

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 10 '19 at 14:14

Just to save anyone typing, here's exactly how you do it:

Put this script on the button

You will in fact have some other script ( SomeScript ) which has a toggle in it.

Copy and paste!

using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.EventSystems;

public class HoldableButton: MonoBehaviour, IPointerDownHandler, IPointerUpHandler {

    bool _down;
    public SomeScript someScript;

    public void OnPointerDown(PointerEventData eventData) {
        _down = true;
    }

    public void OnPointerUp(PointerEventData eventData) {
        _down = false;
    }

    void Update() {

        someScript.yourToggle = _down;
    }
}

Detect continous touch on GUI button

2 Answers2