Workshop › Typing Rain › Step 12 of 33

Listen to the keyboard

What we are doing

Every key from a to z, small or capital, goes to type. Other keys (Shift, arrows, numbers) are ignored.

```js
document.addEventListener('keydown', (event) => {
  const key = event.key.toLowerCase()
  if (key.length === 1 && key >= 'a' && key <= 'z') {
    event.preventDefault()
    type(key)
  }
})
```

What it means

• keydown runs the arrow function every time a key goes down; event.key is its name ('c', 'Shift', 'ArrowUp').
• .toLowerCase() makes capitals small. A letter is one character long and between 'a' and 'z'.
• preventDefault() stops the browser's own action for that key.

Your turn

Write the listener above function draw() { (under update), with an empty line after it.

Skills: Keyboard and mouse input

← Lock on to a word Letter by letter →

All steps

1. A sky for the words
2. The ground
3. A word on the canvas
4. A function that draws
5. A list of words
6. Make them fall
7. The game loop
8. A new word from the list
9. Let it rain
10. Gone past the ground
11. Lock on to a word
12. Listen to the keyboard
13. Letter by letter
14. Half a word in yellow
15. Let go of a lost word
16. Lives
17. Hearts
18. Score
19. Out of lives
20. Freeze the game
21. The game over panel
22. Play again
23. Levels
24. Faster and faster
25. Best score
26. Accuracy
27. Words per minute
28. Your speed at the end
29. Where the keys go
30. Draw the keyboard
31. Light up the next key
32. Tap the keys
33. Build it yourself: change your mind