UITextView did finish change selection

Question

I want to catch event when user finish change selection in UITextView. Method textViewDidChangeSelection: call a few times while user pulls cursor. I try to use touchesEnded:withEvent:, but it doesn't call. Try to add pan gesture, but pan handler don't call.

Aquiculture

Please explain why you can't use textViewDidChangeSelection:. – Robin

Every time when selection changed I send request to server. I get a lot of requests in this case. I can send request with delay, it's plan B =) – Aquiculture

It may be a good idea to do after waiting for some time after the last textViewDidChangeSelection: call. – Exurbanite

Yes, but I think it will be much much better if I will do it without delay. Response come within 0.1 second, it really fast. With delay users will be waiting ten times more that needs. And I have limit for requests per day. Anyway much better do without delay. – Aquiculture

@Aquiculture Did you find a solution? – Warila

@Warila I just use timer. If user change selection, invalidate previous timer and start new one. This works fine for my app. – Aquiculture

@Warila is right answer not working for you? Id don't remember if I check it. – Aquiculture

Answer 1

UITextInputDelegate's selectionDidChange(_:) is called when the user has finished changing the selection (lifts their finger from the selection handles). On the UITextView, set your class as the inputDelegate. This works for read-only text views, not just editable ones.

Fotheringhay

I am using selectionDidChange with a UITextView and it seems to get called everytime i highlight an extra character rather than at the end of a block of text. So how is it different to textViewDidChangeSelection? – Brundage

This actually not work, even on the non-editable UITextView – Dolores

Answer 2

I know it's too late to answer. Though.. You can use selectedRange inside textViewDidChangeSelection: and check if selectedRange.length is greater than zero. This will confirm that user has selected something and not just moved the cursor.

Ambush

Never too late to answer! StackOverflow is meant to be an archive reference for future searches as well, thank you! – Mildamilde

@AlbertRenshaw exactly bro, the same happened to me. – Ambush

I later could find the solution and posted it. – Ambush

You missunderstand me. I want to handle when user finish select range. Every time when user move start range cursor event is called. Every time length > 0. I need somehow handle when user touch up his finger. – Aquiculture

Answer 3

I think you'll have to subclass UITextView and implement touchesEnded:withEvent: in order to know when the user stops changing the selection.

Exurbanite

Answer 4

It's a little bit of hack.

I've observed that after user lift his finger, system will call delegate querying about menu options, such as:

optional func textView(_ textView: UITextView, editMenuForTextIn range: NSRange, suggestedActions: [UIMenuElement]) -> UIMenu?

We can make good use of it, right?

Notice it only avaliable above iOS16.0

Dolores