Javascript keypress event and e.keycode

Question

1. I have a code which is suppose to update the number of remaining characters left when the user types in a text input. The code is triggered using keypress event. The problem is the code is triggered only after 2 keypress. Why does that happen?

2. I have a code to show the key of ASCII code but the character always shows 8 and shows when I press backspace. And how to use String.fromCharCode(event.keycode} ; method.

3. Why is a event parameter added to a function ? How does e.keycode know it is displaying the keycode of the user's input.

Code Sample

HTML

<div id="page">
  <h1>List King</h1>
  <form id="messageForm">
    <h2>My profile</h2>
    <textarea id="message"></textarea>
    <div id="charactersLeft">180 characters</div>
    <div id="lastKey"></div>
  </form>
</div>

JavaScript

var el;                                                    // Declare variables

function charCount(e) {                                    // Declare function
  var textEntered, charDisplay, counter, lastkey;          // Declare variables
  textEntered = document.getElementById('message').value;  // User's text
  charDisplay = document.getElementById('charactersLeft'); // Counter element
  counter = (180 - (textEntered.length));                  // Num of chars left
  charDisplay.textContent = counter;                       // Show chars left

  lastkey = document.getElementById('lastKey');            // Get last key used
  lastkey.textContent = 'Last key in ASCII code: ' + e.keyCode; // Create msg 
}

el = document.getElementById('message');                   // Get msg element
el.addEventListener('keypress', charCount, false);         // keypress -call charCount()

Answer 1

1. The keypress event is triggered before the input's value is updated, this is why the counter is not up to date. I'd suggest to listen to the input event if you don't need the keyCode. You can also listen to keyup (but the update won't be straight forward) or the combination of keypress and keyup (from "How to get text of an input text box during onKeyPress?", I updated the right answer's fiddle).
2. • Actually, the keypress event doesn't seem to be triggered when you press backspace. That been said, an other solution to ignore "muted" keys ("backspace", "shift", "command" and so on) is to listen to the "input" event (but you won't have access to event.keyCode). Otherwise you can also ignore your code when the keyCode is not relevant.
   • In regard to String.fromCharCode, simply use String.fromCharCode(event.keyCode) to get the keyCode's "human" equivalent.
3. The event passed to the function is an object containing all the informations about this given event, including the pressed key.