How to clear textarea on click using AMD syntax

[TracySchloss]

I have a textarea that starts out as

        <textarea data-dojo-type="dijit/form/Textarea" id="taAddress"/>Enter an Address, Place or ZIP.</textarea>

I'd like for the user to be able to click on the phrase "Enter an Address, Place or ZIP", and have that automatically empty the textarea so the user can just start typing without having to delete the phrase already in there.

I have a line which I've placed below my last function, but before the ending });

registry.byId("taAddress").on("click", clearTextInput('taAddress'));

and here's my function:

function clearTextInput (textFieldName) {     var txtarea = registry.byId(textFieldName);     txtarea.set("value", ""); }

My problem is that this fires as the page is loading, not on the map click.  I can see it starts out with my initial phrase, but then it clears itself, even before I have a chance to actually click in the textarea.

[BenFousek]

Use the placeholder parameter. Works for all text widgets. No extra code required.

<input data-dojo-type="dijit/form/TextBox" data-dojo-props="placeholder: 'Search place or address'" />

[TracySchloss]

That sounded so promising, but no go.  I'm getting a type error on my registry.byId('taAddress'), saying it's undefined.  I have included "dijit/registry" and have another 'click' for a button right below this line that works just fine with registry.byId, so 'make sure you defined in' is not the issue.

Shouldn't registry.byId work for all digits and if it's an html element like 'div', that's when you'd use dom.byId instead?

[BenFousek]

This doesn't work?

<textarea data-dojo-type="dijit/form/Textarea" data-dojo-props="placeholder: 'Enter an Address, Place or ZIP.'" id="taAddress"/></textarea>

I think you are getting the type error because you aren't wrapping in a function, but you don't need it with placeholder.

registry.byId("taAddress").on("click", function (evt) { clearTextInput('taAddress') });

[TracySchloss]

The string from the placeholder doesn't show up.

        <input id="taAddress" dojo-data-type="dijit/form/TextBox" dojo-data-props="placeholder: 'Enter an Address, Place or ZIP.'"></input>

[BenFousek]

Hmmm... I've used placeholder forever and in every text widget. Never had a problem.

<input id="project-save-name" data-dojo-type="dijit/form/ValidationTextBox" data-dojo-props="required: true, placeholder: 'Name', style: 'width:300px;'" />

[TracySchloss]

I changed it back to value=.  At least it shows the text I expect to see.  I still can't come up with a way to clear it out.  I'm getting confused about where I should define 'onClick'  Something I read said I shouldn't put any of any event code in the definition, it should all go outside in the form of registry.byId('mydijit').on('click', function); 

        <input id="taAddress" dojo-data-type="dijit/form/TextBox" value='Enter an Address, Place or ZIP' ></input>

[TracySchloss · Accepted solution]

OK, this is what worked for me:

        <input id="taAddress" dojo-data-type="dijit/form/TextBox" placeHolder='Enter an Address, Place or ZIP' ></input>

[BenFousek]

Great. Glad you got it working.