Limit a EditText to exactly certain number of word count

Question

How can we limit the EditText length to certain number of word count (100 words).

Even though copy a large text from some where,while pasting it should accept only 100 words. I know we can limit it by character count (maxLength)

I tried with below code, but it doesn't limit it by exactly 100 words and it is allowing copy-paste large text.

editText.addTextChangedListener(new TextWatcher() {
            @Override
            public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence charSequence, int start, int count, int after) {

                int wordsLength = countWords(charSequence.toString());// words.length;
                // count == 0 means a new word is going to start
                if (count == 0 && wordsLength >= MAX_WORD_LIMIT) {
                    int charLength = mDescription.getText().length();
                    setCharLimit(mDescription, charLength > 0 ? charLength - 2 : charLength);
                } else {
                    removeFilter(mDescription);
                }

and

private InputFilter filter;

    private void setCharLimit(EditText et, int max) {
        filter = new InputFilter.LengthFilter(max);
        et.setFilters(new InputFilter[]{filter});
    }

    private void removeFilter(EditText et) {
        if (filter != null) {
            et.setFilters(new InputFilter[0]);
            filter = null;
        }
    }

@Redman: It is not duplicate of that, i need to control it by word count — Ram Prakash Bhat, Mar 15 '17 at 05:43
Possible duplicate of [Android How to set maximum "word" limit on EditText](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/28823898/android-how-to-set-maximum-word-limit-on-edittext) — Komal12, Mar 15 '17 at 05:46

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 15 '17 at 05:37

1

You can do this by using:

android:maxLength="50"

in your EditText.

answered Mar 15 '17 at 05:37

Rahul Sharma

12,515
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3

Please read question completely. I know this it will limit by character count,i need to control it by word count – Ram Prakash Bhat Mar 15 '17 at 05:39
@Ram write your code in **afterTextChanged(Editable s)** instead of **beforeTextChanged**. – Rahul Sharma Mar 15 '17 at 05:47

shahid17june · Answer 2 · 2017-03-15T05:45:13.907

1

Hope its work for you

edittext.addTextChangedListener(new TextWatcher() {
        @Override
        public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count, int after) {

        }

        @Override
        public void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before, int count) {

        }

        @Override
        public void afterTextChanged(Editable s) {
           // Check your edittext length here
           if (edittext.getText().toString().length() > 100)
              edittext.setText(edittext.getText().toString().substring(0, 100);
        }
    });

edited Mar 15 '17 at 05:45

answered Mar 15 '17 at 05:38

shahid17june

1,441
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15

@Ram, i have edited my anwswer, please checked it out. – shahid17june Mar 15 '17 at 05:47
edittext.getText().toString().length() will give total character count not word count – Ram Prakash Bhat Mar 15 '17 at 05:49
@Ram check: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/28823898/android-how-to-set-maximum-word-limit-on-edittext – Komal12 Mar 15 '17 at 05:53

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited Mar 15 '17 at 10:55

1

    edittext.addTextChangedListener(new TextWatcher() {
            @Override
            public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count, int after) {

            }

   @Override
   public void onTextChanged(CharSequence charSequence, int start, int before, int count) {

            //To fix word count
            String yourText= editText.getText().toString().replace(String.valueOf((char) 160), " ");
            if (yourText.split("\\s+").length > MAX_WORD_LIMIT ) {

                int space = 0;
                int length = 0;
                for (int i = 0; i < yourText.length(); i++) {
                    if (yourText.charAt(i) == ' ') {
                        space++;
                        if (space >= MAX_WORD_LIMIT) {
                            length = i;
                            break;
                        }

                    }
                }
                if (length > 1) {
                    editText.getText().delete(length, yourSelf.length()); // deleting last space
                    setCharLimit(editText, length - 1); //or limit edit text
                }
            } else {
                removeFilter(editText);
            }


        }

            @Override
            public void afterTextChanged(Editable s) {

        });
          private InputFilter filter;

          private void setCharLimit(EditText et, int max) {
            filter = new InputFilter.LengthFilter(max);
            et.setFilters(new InputFilter[] { filter });
            }

          private void removeFilter(EditText et) {
            if (filter != null) {
              et.setFilters(new InputFilter[0]);
             filter = null;
             }
           }

here 160 is the non breaking space

edited Mar 15 '17 at 10:55

Ram Prakash Bhat

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answered Mar 15 '17 at 05:56

Kiran Benny Joseph

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1

This won't work if there are two consecutive blanks. – theblitz Mar 15 '17 at 06:07
@theblitz why do we put two blanks in between words – Kiran Benny Joseph Mar 15 '17 at 06:10
1

@KiranBennyJoseph It does happen. Sometimes people do accidentally put an extra blank. Just add a check of the previous character to make sure it wasn't also blank. – theblitz Mar 15 '17 at 06:18
1

@KiranBennyJoseph Checking s.equals(' ') will never return true, s will always contain whole text you entered . – Ram Prakash Bhat Mar 15 '17 at 06:21
And i agree with @theblitz comment – Ram Prakash Bhat Mar 15 '17 at 06:22
Ok I am changing – Kiran Benny Joseph Mar 15 '17 at 06:25
instead you need to use charSequence.toString().split("\\s+").length>99 – Ram Prakash Bhat Mar 15 '17 at 06:33
@Ram I am not testing it. Instead Iam just typing – Kiran Benny Joseph Mar 15 '17 at 06:36
It is ok i just informed Thank you for your time, If you setFocusable false you can not edit or delete text you entered – Ram Prakash Bhat Mar 15 '17 at 06:37
Let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/138078/discussion-between-ram-and-kiran-benny-joseph). – Ram Prakash Bhat Mar 15 '17 at 06:40
how handle a new line case here?because this solution doesnt handle new line case – Wini Mar 07 '22 at 07:22

Avinash Kahar · Answer 4 · 2020-01-24T04:56:59.880

Kotlin Language -- To check maximum words need to check total space

--> Step-1

var filter: InputFilter?=null

--> Step-2


edt.addTextChangedListener(object : TextWatcher {
            override fun afterTextChanged(s: Editable?) {

                var count : Int = 0

                if(s.toString().length > 0)

                    for(i in 0..s.toString().length-1){

                        if(s.toString()[i].toString() == " "){
                            count++
                        }

                        if(i > 1 && s.toString()[i-1].toString() == " " && s.toString()[i].toString() == " "){
                            count--
                        }

                    }

                if (count >= MAX_COUNTS_WORDS){
                    filter = InputFilter.LengthFilter(edt.text.toString().length)
                    edt.filters = arrayOf<InputFilter>(filter ?: return)
                }
                else if (filter != null) {
                    edt.filters = arrayOfNulls(0)
                    filter = null

                }


            }

            override fun beforeTextChanged(s: CharSequence?, p1: Int, p2: Int, p3: Int) {
            }

            override fun onTextChanged(p0: CharSequence?, p1: Int, p2: Int, p3: Int) {
            }

        })

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Mar 15 '17 at 05:57

0

If you want to find word count then you can use java logic.

String text = "More than 100 word sentence";
String[] txtArr = text.split(" ");

Now Pick only first 100 index words.

This is just a hack. May be there are more optimal ways out there.

answered Mar 15 '17 at 05:57

Ashish M

763
6
13

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Mar 15 '17 at 06:00

You can use split with index of functions. Sorry for so long string, hope you will get the idea. Just extract some variables.

edittext.addTextChangedListener(new TextWatcher() {
            @Override
            public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count, int after) {

            }

            @Override
            public void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before, int count) {

            }

            @Override
            public void afterTextChanged(Editable s) {

               if (edittext.getText().toString().split(" ").size() > 100)
                  edittext.setText(edittext.getText().toString().substring(0, edittext.getText().toString().indexOf(edittext.getText().toString().split(" ").get(100))));
            }
        });

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Apr 27 '17 at 11:11

0

use android:maxLength property of edittext to solve your problem.

answered Apr 27 '17 at 11:11

Rahul Sharma

19
2

Limit a EditText to exactly certain number of word count

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