How to do a live UITextField count while typing (Swift)?

I would like to count the character when user keep typing in **UITextField** with swift.

Image of Field and Label:

![enter image description here][1]

I have already placed UITextField and UILabel, just haven't found any information on Stack overflow, also if you can do one in **UITextView** I also appreciate it.


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func updateCharacterCount() {
let count = DescriptionTextview.text.count
descountlabel.text = "\((0) + count)/140"
}

extension DescriptionCollectionViewCell: UITextViewDelegate{

func textViewDidChange(_ textView: UITextView) {
descountlabel.becomeFirstResponder()
self.updateCharacterCount()
}

func textView(_ textView: UITextView, shouldChangeTextIn range: NSRange, replacementText text: String) -> Bool{
let generator = UINotificationFeedbackGenerator()
let count = textView.text.count + (text.count - range.length)
if count <= 140 {
return true
}else{
generator.notificationOccurred(.error)
return false
}
}

}

Simple...

Add a `UITextViewDelegate` to your class header like this...

class ViewController: UIViewController, UITextFieldDelegate { ... }

Add the `@IBOutlet` to both the `UILabel` and the `UITextView` like so...

@IBOutlet weak var characterCountLabel: UILabel!
@IBOutlet var characterTextField: UITextView!

Then add the following delegate to the `viewDidLoad()` function...

override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
self.characterTextField.delegate = self // required for character counter
}

Finally, just create a `func` for the `textViewDidChange` delegate method...

func textViewDidChange(_ textView: UITextView) {
self.characterCountLabel.text = String("\(textView.text.count)")
}

I personally checked and verified this simple way to add a text counter for your `UITextView` and output it to a `UILabel` and it works!

Swift 5.3

Add **UITextFieldDelegate** in you viewController with outlets

class ViewController: UIViewController, UITextFieldDelegate{
@IBOutlet weak var txtGroupName: UITextField!
@IBOutlet weak var lblWordCount: UILabel!
Add **textfeild delegate** in your **viewDidLoad()** like below

override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
txtGroupName.addTarget(self, action: #selector(self.textFieldDidChange(textField:)), for: UIControl.Event.editingChanged)
}

@objc func textFieldDidChange(textField : UITextField){
self.lblWordCount.text = "\(self.txtGroupName.text!.count)/"+"\(65)"
}

We have set also **meximum text limit 65** . you can **replace 65 to what you want**.

extension viewController:UITextFieldDelegate{
func textField(_ textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersIn range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
if !(textField.text?.isEmpty ?? true){
return textField.text!.count + (string.count - range.length) <= 65
}
return true
}
}

It's **output** is like below

[![output][1]][1]


[1]:

A very elegant and neat solution exists using UITextFieldDelegate. My solution uses the concept of selectors. In a selector you tell your compiler what function/action to perform when a particular event happens. In this case - typing in textfield. Make sure that you have set the textField delegate in storyboard.

override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
yourTextField.addTarget(self, action: #selector(YourViewController.textFieldDidChange(_:)), for: UIControlEvents.EditingChanged)
}

@objc func textFieldDidChange(textField : UITextField){
label.text = yourTextField.text?.count
}

`UITextView` count while typing in Swift:

```
func textView(_ textView: UITextView, shouldChangeTextIn range: NSRange, replacementText text: String) -> Bool {

let textCount = textView.text?.count ?? 0 + text.count - range.length
self.textCountLabel.text = "\(textCount)"
return true
}
```

Swift 5.1

Add `viewController` delegate

final class CreditCardViewController : BaseViewController , UITextFieldDelegate {

@IBOutlet var cvvTextField: UITextField!


Add `viewDidLoad()`

cvvTextField.delegate = self
And add delegate function.

func textField(_ textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersIn range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
if(textField == cvvTextField){
let characterCountLimit = 3
let startingLength = textField.text?.count ?? 0
let lengthToAdd = string.count
let lengthToReplace = range.length

let newLength = startingLength + lengthToAdd - lengthToReplace

return newLength <= characterCountLimit
}

return true
}

To use the function below you need to implement the `UITextFieldDelegate protocol` on the text field you want to count. This gets called every time the `UITextField`s text changes:

Your class declaration should look something like this

<!-- language: lang-swift -->

class ViewController: UIViewController, UITextFieldDelegate

You should have an `@IBOutlet` similar to this

<!-- language: lang-swift -->

@IBOutlet var txtValue: UITextField

Set the `UITextField` s delegate to `self`.

<!-- language: lang-swift -->

override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
txtValue.delegate = self
}

func textField(textField: UITextField, shouldChangeCharactersInRange range: NSRange, replacementString string: String) -> Bool {
let newLength = count(textField.text.utf16) + count(string.utf16) - range.length

mylabel.text = String(newLength) // Set value of the label
// myCounter = newLength // Optional: Save this value
// return newLength <= 25 // Optional: Set limits on input.
return true
}

Note that this function is called on all `UITextField`s so if you have several `UITextField`s you will need to add a logic to know witch one is calling this function.

Swift 4 for `UITextView` change text event `UITextViewDelegate`

func textView(_ textView: UITextView, shouldChangeTextIn range: NSRange, replacementText text: String) -> Bool {

}

For multiple `UITextView`

[![enter image description here][1]][1]

class ViewController: UIViewController, UITextViewDelegate {

@IBOutlet weak var ticketSummaryTV: UITextView!
@IBOutlet weak var ticketDescriptionTV: UITextView!

@IBOutlet weak var summaryCountLbl: UILabel!
@IBOutlet weak var descriptionCountLbl: UILabel!

override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()

// Do any additional setup after loading the view.

ticketSummaryTV.delegate = self
ticketDescriptionTV.delegate = self

self.updateCharacterCount()
}

func updateCharacterCount() {
let summaryCount = self.ticketSummaryTV.text.characters.count
let descriptionCount = self.ticketDescriptionTV.text.characters.count

self.summaryCountLbl.text = "\((0) + summaryCount)/50"

self.descriptionCountLbl.text = "\((0) + descriptionCount)/500"
}

func textViewDidChange(_ textView: UITextView) {
self.updateCharacterCount()
}


func textView(_ textView: UITextView, shouldChangeTextIn range: NSRange, replacementText text: String) -> Bool{
if(textView == ticketSummaryTV){
return textView.text.characters.count + (text.characters.count - range.length) <= 50
}else if(textView == ticketDescriptionTV){
return textView.text.characters.count + (text.characters.count - range.length) <= 500
}
return false
}
}



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