# Clear text field on got focus

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/clear-text-field-on-got-focus/9904>\
**Category:** flash\
**Created:** [December 20, 2002, 4:57pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/clear-text-field-on-got-focus/9904 "2002-12-20T16:57:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![highwire](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/highwire/32/107_2.png) [@highwire](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/highwire)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:57pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/clear-text-field-on-got-focus/9904/1 "2002-12-20T16:57:02Z")

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I’ve implemented an Atomz search and want the text field (that has the default text=“search”) to clear itself on receiving focus.

IMPORTANT - it MUST work on a click OR when tabbing into it.

I’m using an input text field.

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:52pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/clear-text-field-on-got-focus/9904/2 "2002-12-20T19:52:24Z")

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OK, since I stumped everyone - or since no one cared, here’s how I got it to work:

I put this on frame 1

//set the default text/prompt  
var urlSearch = “Search”;

//continuously check for focus and clear text if it = ‘search’  
this.onEnterFrame = function(){  
if (Selection.getFocus()== “\_level0.SearchHolder.search”) {

```
    if (_root.urlSearch == "Search") {
    _root.urlSearch = ""; } 
} 
}

```

‘SearchHolder’ was a button instance in side of which was an input text field with instance name ‘search’.

That’s 1 for me, a few thousand for Kirupa. Now I’m on a roll.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2003, 6:49am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/clear-text-field-on-got-focus/9904/3 "2003-01-19T06:49:36Z")

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Nice job!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2003, 7:02am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/clear-text-field-on-got-focus/9904/4 "2003-01-19T07:02:59Z")

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this.onMouseUp = function(){  
eval(Selection.getFocus()).text = “”;  
}