javascript - jQuery: how to filter out non-character keys on keypress event?

Question

I tried searching but unsure of what terms to look for.

I'm using jQuery and would like to use the keypress event in a textbox, but prevent all non-printable characters (ie. Enter, ESC, arrow keys, backspace, tab, ctrl, insert, F1-F12, etc) from triggering the event.

Is there an easy way to determine if it is printable?

Answer 1

<script>
    $("input").keypress(function (e) {
        if (e.which !== 0 &&
            !e.ctrlKey && !e.metaKey && !e.altKey) {
            alert(String.fromCharCode(e.which));
        }
    });
</script>

Seems to work just fine with jQuery 1.4.2, FF, IE, Chrome.

To delve into the mess that is JS keyboard event handling, see: JavaScript Madness: Keyboard Events

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Updated to filter ctrl, meta & alt key combinations as per Daniel's comment.