Android Edit Text - Cursor stays at the starting position

Question

I am using an Edit Text in my project.

The problem is that whenever I type anything into the text box, it shows up, but the cursor does not move from its starting position at all, regardless of how many characters I type. Also I am not able to move by clicking to any particular character in the text box.

My xml file for containing the edit text is like this

<EditText
        android:id="@+id/xEt"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="295dp"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:ems="10"
        android:focusableInTouchMode="true" 
android:focusable="true" >

The xml file is:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent" >

<RelativeLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/xsubLayout"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:keepScreenOn="true"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <RelativeLayout
        android:id="@+id/relativeLayout1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true" >

    </RelativeLayout>

    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/xEt"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="295dp"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
        android:ems="10"
        android:inputType="textMultiLine" >

        <requestFocus />
    </EditText>

</RelativeLayout>

    <RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content" android:id="@+id/xK1"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" android:orientation="vertical"
        android:visibility="gone">
        <include android:id="@+id/xKeyBoard" layout="@layout/gf"></include>
        <include android:id="@+id/xtop" layout="@layout/top"></include>
                <include android:id="@+id/x11" layout="@layout/x1"></include>
        <include android:id="@+id/x12" layout="@layout/x3"></include>
        <include android:id="@+id/x13" layout="@layout/x4"></include>
        <include android:id="@+id/x14" layout="@layout/x5"></include>

        <include android:id="@+id/x15" layout="@layout/x6"></include>
        <include android:id="@+id/x16" layout="@layout/x7"></include>
        <include android:id="@+id/x17" layout="@layout/x8"></include>
        <include android:id="@+id/x18" layout="@layout/x9"></include>

        <include android:id="@+id/x19" layout="@layout/x10"></include>
        <include android:id="@+id/x20" layout="@layout/x11"></include>

        <include android:id="@+id/x22" layout="@layout/x13"></include>

        <include android:id="@+id/x23" layout="@layout/x14"></include>
        <include android:id="@+id/x24" layout="@layout/x15"></include>
        <include android:id="@+id/x25" layout="@layout/x16"></include>
        <include android:id="@+id/x26" layout="@layout/x17"></include>

        <include android:id="@+id/x27" layout="@layout/x18"></include>
        <include android:id="@+id/x28" layout="@layout/x19"></include>


    </RelativeLayout>
</RelativeLayout>

then first test it may be its device problem. If getting same thing happen then tell us — Pratik, Dec 03 '12 at 11:13
@Pratik It is not a device problem. I tried it on a handset, but got the same results — Aakash Anuj, Dec 03 '12 at 11:15
@Pratik Also , my edit text is having a limited number of characters that can be written to it — Aakash Anuj, Dec 03 '12 at 11:18
@Pratik I am using multi line edit text...is that creating the problem? — Aakash Anuj, Dec 03 '12 at 11:22
@Pratik : When I use mEt.setSelection(mEt.getText().length()); it works for me, but will I have to write this everytime I make a change to the edit Text?? — Aakash Anuj, Dec 03 '12 at 11:31
could you please post your code in question for using this edittext — Pratik, Dec 03 '12 at 11:38
@Pratik i cannot post the code. But I have already told you what is happening. — Aakash Anuj, Dec 03 '12 at 11:48
Firstly, my cursor does not move from my start position . Secondly, I am not able to scroll. Actually, I am using my own keypad and not the default one. Maybe that is creating a problem — Aakash Anuj, Dec 03 '12 at 11:49

score 7 · Answer 1 · edited Sep 28 '20 at 20:40

7

In my case, it was caused by using:

android:textAllCaps="true"

in the EditText element of my xml layout.

When I removed it, it worked as expected

edited Sep 28 '20 at 20:40

Dharman

30,962
25
85
135

answered Sep 28 '20 at 20:35

gbenroscience

994
2
10
33

1

Why should android:textAllCaps="true" cause this? – Sreekanth Karumanaghat Nov 05 '21 at 15:56
1

I've lost several hours because of this! Thank you! – insomnium_ Jun 17 '23 at 22:01

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 12 '16 at 15:09

Are you binding you view to a model? i.e. Do you have an MVVM setup?

If you do, make sure you do not have any cyclical update especially for a two-way binding i.e. if user types a character, you update your model which will in turn update the EditText control and repeat.

So depending on your Editext control properties, each time the model change updates it, it could have the cursor reset to the start position.

If this is the case, a simple equality check between the model value and the EditText text value before you update it from the model should fix the issue.

if (txtEdit.text != modelValue)
{
    txtEdit.text = modelValue;
}

score 2 · Answer 3 · edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

2

It may be a bit too late to answer this question. But even i faced the same problem by using custom Keyboard. The problem was solved for me too after adding the following line in the XML file for every edittext

android:imeOptions="flagNoExtractUi"

android:inputType="textNoSuggestions"

Like this

<Editext                
 android:layout_width="match_parent"
 android:layout_height="wrap_content"
 android:paddingLeft="2dp" 
 android:inputType="textNoSuggestions"
 android:imeOptions="flagNoExtractUi"/>

I have seen a lot of people searching for this so i have posted to the one relevant to my problem.

edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

Community

1
1

answered Mar 24 '17 at 08:57

Shreyash Khole

560
4
10

I'm having this exact problem and this didn't work for me. I'm developing my own keyboard IME too, and this text entry field is in the settings menu of the configuration options for the IME – Papyrus Apr 14 '22 at 15:51

Nirav Tukadiya · Answer 4 · 2012-12-04T04:32:47.690

1

set these properties to your XML file

  <YourLayout
     xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
     android:focusable="true" 
     android:focusableInTouchMode="true">

  <EditText
    android:id="@+id/xEt"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="295dp"
    android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
    android:ems="10"
    android:clickable="true"
    android:cursorVisible="true"/> 

</YourLayout>

Try this. and put this in your java code.

 EditText et = (EditText)findViewById(R.id.xEt);
 et.setSelection(et.getText().length());

edited Dec 04 '12 at 04:32

answered Dec 03 '12 at 11:10

Nirav Tukadiya

3,367
1
18
36

No, it is still not working. What do I do? It remains in the starting position – Aakash Anuj Dec 03 '12 at 11:15
I am not using the default keyboard.. I am using my own layout...is that creating a problem? – Aakash Anuj Dec 04 '12 at 03:28
please post your layout file. – Nirav Tukadiya Dec 04 '12 at 03:51
Nirav, I have to write this code et.setSelection(et.getText().length()); everywhere to achieve the result, since it works for just that moment when it is encountered. Also, I am not able to go back and edit the text. That is , once entered, I am not able to edit the characters. What do I do? – Aakash Anuj Dec 04 '12 at 04:36
Logcat shows no errors. The code is too long to post here. All I can say is that I am using my own keyboard layout. Does that create a problem, since I am not using default keyboard? – Aakash Anuj Dec 04 '12 at 05:19
no it won't create the problem at all because you have did it right.i guess your java code may contains errors. – Nirav Tukadiya Dec 04 '12 at 05:22

score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Jan 21 '16 at 15:08

I am using this workaround for this problem, If characters are in English or digit characters then change EditText gravity to left else in another Language in my case it's in Arabic then will change gravity to left and the cursor will move in it's right way according to each language:

        editText.addTextChangedListener(new TextWatcher() {

            @Override
            public void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before, int count) {
                if(s.length() > 0){
                    char c = s.charAt(0);
                     // characters are Enlgish or digits.
                    if ((c >= 'a' && c <= 'z') || (c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z') || Character.isDigit(c)) {
                        editText.setGravity(Gravity.LEFT);
                    }else {
                        editText.setGravity(Gravity.RIGHT);


                    }
                } 
            }

            @Override
            public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count,
                    int after) {

            }

            @Override
            public void afterTextChanged(Editable s) {

            }
        });

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Apr 14 '22 at 16:44

I had exactly this issue, and it was when I was developing a custom Android keyboard IME. None of these proposed solutions worked for me (on Android 12 mind you, much later versions than those used in some of these suggestions).

My problem was in fact caused be the issue @MADol has identified above in that each time the state updated it set the cursor back to the home position (start of the field). I am using a text input field of type AppCompatEditText :

var editText: AppCompatEditText

And in my method that is responsible for updating the text value based on state updates and such I just added:

editText.setSelection(editText.length())

This post here is where I found this solution.

Android Edit Text - Cursor stays at the starting position

6 Answers6

Linked