# Error emptying formatted text field **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** ignition81, scripting, vision\ **Created:** [April 4, 2024, 7:38am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327 "2024-04-04T07:38:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Om33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Om33](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Om33)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 7:38am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327/1 "2024-04-04T07:38:51Z")
Hello, I have a script in vision to set the text of a formatted text field component to empty and when the field is empty then some code lines should be executed. Thats how I set the text of the formatted text field component to empty: ```auto event.source.parent.getComponent('Id_Field').text="" ``` And this is how I check if the field is empty: ```auto id_to_filter=event.source.parent.getComponent('Id_Field').text if id_to_filter=="": ``` My problem is that, this evaluation is always false because the text field is not empty but shows this instead: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/d/1/d172d7c582e5508c3b88662a4daad289a65f4097.png) How can I remove or avoid that space? I don't know where the space comes from. My code is really that simple. ---
**Author:** ![justinedwards.jle](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/justinedwards.jle/32/37854_2.png) [@justinedwards.jle](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/justinedwards.jle)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 8:31am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327/2 "2024-04-04T08:31:35Z")
How do you set your formatting? regex or formatted mask? I imagine those parameters will hold the answer to your question. ---
**Author:** ![Om33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Om33](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Om33)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 8:36am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327/3 "2024-04-04T08:36:37Z")
Validation mode is formatted mask: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/f/1/f1c4eb78a7dd968dd709128fed77f2c71262f27b.png) I don't understand how this could be related to the problem. ---
**Author:** ![justinedwards.jle](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/justinedwards.jle/32/37854_2.png) [@justinedwards.jle](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/justinedwards.jle)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 8:39am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327/4 "2024-04-04T08:39:14Z")
The text will be the length of your formatted mask. ---
**Author:** ![Om33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Om33](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Om33)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 8:42am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327/5 "2024-04-04T08:42:53Z")
Ahn, I see. How can I avoid this then? ---
**Author:** ![justinedwards.jle](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/justinedwards.jle/32/37854_2.png) [@justinedwards.jle](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/justinedwards.jle)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 8:48am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327/6 "2024-04-04T08:48:17Z")
Add `.strip()` to the end of your scripted `text` property, so the whitespace is removed, and your code will work as intended: ```auto if id_to_filter.strip()=="": ``` ---
**Author:** ![Om33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Om33](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Om33)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 8:59am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327/7 "2024-04-04T08:59:02Z")
Thank you! Is there no possibility to also remove that whitespace from the field so that the cursor is set to the beginning of the field? ---
**Author:** ![justinedwards.jle](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/justinedwards.jle/32/37854_2.png) [@justinedwards.jle](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/justinedwards.jle)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 9:02am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327/8 "2024-04-04T09:02:25Z")
> [@Om33](#): > > so that the cursor is set to the beginning of the field? Adding this to your formatted text field's `focusGained` event handler would do that for you: ```auto event.source.setCaretPosition(0) ``` It won't remove the white space, but it will position your cursor where you want it. ---
**Author:** ![Om33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Om33](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Om33)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 9:09am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327/9 "2024-04-04T09:09:55Z")
Just tried it. Okay in that case it is better to let the cursor at the end ---
**Author:** ![Om33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Om33](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Om33)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 10:32am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327/10 "2024-04-04T10:32:58Z")
This doesn't work 😩 ---
**Author:** ![Om33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Om33](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Om33)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 6:50am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327/11 "2024-04-05T06:50:00Z")
Maybe someone from inductive automation could help? ---
**Author:** ![justinedwards.jle](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/justinedwards.jle/32/37854_2.png) [@justinedwards.jle](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/justinedwards.jle)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 7:38am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327/12 "2024-04-05T07:38:36Z")
> [@Om33](#): > > This doesn't work Be more specific. Is the problem still cursor placement? ---
**Author:** ![Om33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Om33](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Om33)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 7:38am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/error-emptying-formatted-text-field/88327/13 "2024-04-05T07:38:59Z")
Sorry it is working:) I had an error somewhere else