monkey-write

A Web Component for helping infinite monkeys write Hamlet (or whatever).

As used on Monkey.Writr.Art, the text editor for monkeys on a deadline!

Features

This is a text editor that only allows users to write a pre-defined text. Depending on the settings, that might be easy (incorrect keystrokes are replaced with valid characters) or extremely difficult, or anywhere between.

Demo

Examples

General usage example:

<script type="module" src="monkey-write.js"></script>

<monkey-write>
  <template>A monkey hitting keys at random for an infinite amount of time will eventually want some help writing Hamlet (or whatever). You're the monkey. We're here to help.<template>
</monkey-write>

Provide an accessible label for the textarea using either slot="label" or the data-label attribute:

<monkey-write>
  <span slot="label">Only write what we let you</span>
  <template>…</template>
</monkey-write>

<monkey-write data-label="Only write what we let you">
  <template>…</template>
</monkey-write>

By default…

• Capitalization is ignored
• The space bar will insert any needed whitespace or punctuation
• A hint is provided after 15 failed keystrokes

The data-hint and and data-cheat attributes control this behavior:

• data-hint="<number>": change the number a incorrect keystrokes before a hint is provided
• data-hint="false": turn off hints entirely
• data-cheat="true": all keystrokes are 'corrected' to enter the next required character
• data-cheat="false": no help with capitalization, white space, or punctuation
• data-cheat="hyper": every keystroke enters between 4-24 correct characters

Installation

You have a few options (choose one):

1. Install via npm: npm install @terriblemia/monkey-write
2. Download the source manually from GitHub into your project.
3. Skip this step and use the script directly via a 3rd party CDN (not recommended for production use)

Usage

Make sure you include the <script> in your project (choose one, and update the version number as needed):

<!-- Host yourself -->
<script type="module" src="monkey-write.js"></script>

<!-- 3rd party CDN, not recommended for production use -->
<script
  type="module"
  src="https://www.unpkg.com/@terriblemia/[email protected]/monkey-write.js"
></script>

<!-- 3rd party CDN, not recommended for production use -->
<script
  type="module"
  src="https://esm.sh/@terriblemia/[email protected]"
></script>

Or use the built in WebC component with Eleventy, by adding "npm:@terriblemia/monkey-write/*.webc" to the Eleventy WebC Plugin components registry:

// Only one module.exports per configuration file, please!
module.exports = function (eleventyConfig) {
  eleventyConfig.addPlugin(eleventyWebcPlugin, {
    components: [
      // Add as a global WebC component
      "npm:@11ty/monkey-write/*.webc",
    ],
  });
}

Slots

The default slot is used to access the provided <template>, but otherwise not rendered once the component is defined. That slot can be used for fallback content.

Content in the named label slot will be rendered inside a <label> element, before the <textarea>.

Parts and styles

There are several parts involved:

• ::part(editor): the <textarea> used for typing

• ::part(label): a <label> that is hidden unless content is added to the label slot

• ::part(hint): a popup that appears after a number of given number of incorrect keystrokes (by adding/removing a ::part(hidden) name), with several sub-parts…

  • ::part(hint-text): a container (<span>) for the text of the hint
  • ::part(hint-close): a button (<button>) for dismissing the hint popup

The monkey-write host element is set to display: block by default, with position: relative to contain the hint.

The ::part(editor) has no default styling, apart from the user-agent textarea styles. I recommend overriding a few of them:

/* paste this if you want it */
monkey-write::part(editor) {
  field-sizing: content;
  font: inherit;
  inline-size: 100%;
  resize: none;

  /* if needed, adjust as desired */
  min-block-size: 6lh;
  padding: clamp(8px, 0.5lh, 24px);
}

Only ::part(hint) has significant default styling to make the popover legible by default:

/* default styles in the shadow dom */
[part~=hint] {
  background: Canvas;
  border: thin solid;
  color: CanvasText;
  display: grid;
  grid-gap: 1ch;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr auto;
  inset: var(--hint-inset, auto 0 0 auto);
  margin: clamp(8px, 0.25lh, 24px);
  padding: clamp(8px, 0.25lh, 24px);
  position: absolute;
}
[part~=hidden] { display: none; }

The --hint-inset property can be used to re-position the hint (bottom right by default), or any of the styles can be overridden. By overriding styles on ::part(hint hidden), it's possible to create hint-popup entrance and exit animations.

Properties and events

Read/write properties:

• MonkeyWrite.editor: a keyboard input element that provides an input event and value property. By default, this will be the provided shadow-DOM textarea.
• MonkeyWrite.srcText: the text to write. By default, this is extracted from the first slotted <template> element.

Write-only properties:

• MonkeyWrite.labelText (string): place new text into the provided shadow-DOM <label>
• MonkeyWrite.hit (boolean): log a hit or miss keystroke. This will update the stats, and trigger a write event (described below).
• MonkeyWrite.try (string): attempt a keystroke. This will check for validity, and apply any required cheats before updating our progress, and registering a hit or miss.

Read-only properties:

• MonkeyWrite.isValid (boolean): true if the current editor.value is valid, by comparing it against the srcText
• MonkeyWrite.progress (string): the latest valid value that was entered
• MonkeyWrite.remaining (string): what's left of the srcText that still hasn't been entered
• MonkeyWrite.next (string): the next expected character to type
• MonkeyWrite.nextIsSpecial (boolean): true if the next character is white space or punctuation
• MonkeyWrite.stats (object):
  • total (integer): length of MonkeyWrite.srcText
  • progress (integer): length of MonkeyWrite.progress
  • remaining (integer): length of MonkeyWrite.remaining
  • next (string): next expected character
  • prev (string): last entered character (after cheats are applied)
  • missed (integer): current streak of incorrect keystrokes (resets to 0 when a correct character is entered)
  • wasted (integer): total incorrect keystrokes over time

Events:

The monkey-write element listens for input events on the editor, and emits a custom write event every time a hit (or miss) is recorded. The write event bubbles, and contains an updated stats object in the event.details property.

Support

At OddBird, we enjoy collaborating and contributing as part of an open web community. But those contributions take time and effort. If you're interested in supporting our open-source work, consider becoming a GitHub sponsor, or contributing to our Open Collective.

❤️ Thanks!

Credit

With thanks to the following people:

• David Darnes for the Web Component repo template that this one is based on.