How to Set a Default Time Picker Value Only on Focus

Описание: Learn how to configure your HTML time picker input to display a default value only when it receives focus, keeping it empty until the user interacts.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/77832563/ asked by the user 'Mervyn Ludick' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/18031027/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/77832612/ provided by the user 'mplungjan' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/295783/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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How to Set a Default Time Picker Value Only on Focus

If you're working with HTML forms, you might want a way to keep your time picker input clear until the user decides to interact with it. This can improve user experience, as it reduces confusion and guides them through the input process. In this guide, we will address how to achieve this functionality using a combination of HTML and JavaScript.

The Challenge: Empty Time Picker Until Interaction

In certain scenarios, you may prefer your time picker to remain empty until the user clicks on it. The goal is to provide a default value only when the input field gains focus. Here’s how you can implement that:

Desired Behavior:

The time picker should be empty by default.

When the user clicks the time picker, a default time (e.g., 15:05) should appear.

Once the user selects a time, it should save that choice, and subsequent interactions should not reset the input.

The Solution: JavaScript Implementation

To implement the desired behavior, you can follow the script below. We will use JavaScript to set a default value when the time picker receives focus, and revert to an empty value when focus is lost, unless the user has already made a selection.

Step-by-Step Guide

HTML Structure: Define your time picker input:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

JavaScript Code: Use the following script to manage the focus and value of the time picker.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation of the Code:

Event Listener for DOM Content Loaded: The script waits until the DOM is fully loaded before executing.

Setting Default Time: A variable (time) holds the default time value that you want to display when the user focuses on the input.

Change Tracking: A boolean variable (changed) tracks whether the user has made a selection.

Focus Event: When the time picker gains focus, it checks if the user has not changed the value, and then sets the default time.

Change Event: When the user changes the time, it sets changed to true, ensuring subsequent interactions with the picker will show the selected time.

Blur Event: If the picker loses focus and the user hasn't changed the value, it clears the picker; otherwise, it retains the selected time.

Conclusion

Implementing a time picker that behaves according to user interactions enhances the usability of your forms. By keeping the input empty until the user interacts with it, you create a cleaner interface that only presents necessary information at the right time.

Now, try implementing this solution in your project. You will find that it helps streamline user input effectively and intuitively.