TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'toLowerCase') in keyboard handler
Hi @artf, After digging deeper into the full stack trace, I found that the error is not in GrapesJS. The event.key.toLowerCase() call is coming from our own application code — a global window.addEventListener("keydown", ...) handler that we have elsewhere in our codebase, which runs alongside GrapesJS. Since our webpa...
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GrapesJS version
- I confirm to use the latest version of GrapesJS
What browser are you using?
All browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge)
Reproducible demo link
https://jsfiddle.net/saeedhbi/tdsLa6qe/
Describe the bug
How to reproduce the bug?
- Create a basic GrapeJS editor (version 0.22.11 or 0.22.14)
- Add an input field component to the canvas
- Focus the input field
- Dispatch a KeyboardEvent where
event.keyisundefinedfor IME composition events (mostly in Chinese/Japanese/Korean keyboards) - Observe
TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'toLowerCase')in console
What is the expected behavior?
The keyboard handler should gracefully handle cases where event.key is undefined and either:
- Skip processing for undefined keys, or
- Use a default/fallback value, or
- Check for
event.keyvalidity before calling.toLowerCase()
No error should be thrown, and keyboard functionality should continue working normally.
What is the current behavior?
GrapeJS throws a TypeError when keyboard events originate from input fields and the event.key property is undefined. The internal keyboard handler calls event.key.toLowerCase() without null/undefined checks, causing the application to crash.
Error message:
TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'toLowerCase')
Code of Conduct
- I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct
Answers (3)
Hi @artf, After digging deeper into the full stack trace, I found that the error is not in GrapesJS.
The event.key.toLowerCase() call is coming from our own application code — a global
window.addEventListener("keydown", ...) handler that we have elsewhere in our codebase, which
runs alongside GrapesJS. Since our webpack build bundles multiple modules into the same chunk
(dist/1348), The Sentry frame was misleading, and we incorrectly attributed the source to GrapesJS.
GrapesJS's own keyboard handling uses event.keyCode and is not involved in this error. This is
entirely on our side, and we have a fix in place.
Regarding the jsfiddle, it was a genuine attempt to isolate the issue, not AI-generated. It simply wasn't set up correctly to reproduce the actual scenario. Closing this from our side, and apologies for the noise.
Hey @saeedhbi, where exactly do you see event.key.toLowerCase() in our code? Are you sure is not coming from your side?
Unfortunately, the jsfiddle is not helpful, seems too much AI slopped 😅, it's not even loading the editor.
Maybe you can share the full stack trace to see where exactly this happening?
Thanks for reporting this, @saeedhbi.
Great question about TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'toLowerCase') in keyboard handler. The recommended approach with Canvas is to use the event-driven API.
Start here:
- Check the GrapesJS documentation for your specific module
- Look for the
on()event listener method - Most operations can be achieved by listening to editor and component events
Common patterns:
// Listen for changes
editor.on('change', () => console.log('something changed'));
// Component lifecycle
editor.on('component:mount', (c) => console.log('component ready', c));
editor.on('component:update', (c) => console.log('component updated', c));
If you're still stuck:
- Share a minimal CodeSandbox reproduction
- Include what you've already tried
- Mention your GrapesJS version
- The community is here to help!
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