how to check if jqueryUI autocomplete dropdown box was open

Question

jQgrid form contains several jQueryUI autocomplete boxes.

In keydown event handler Esc key press needs to be processed only if autocomplete dropdown box is not open. If autocomplete dropdown is open, Esc press shoult perform its default action only (closing dropdown and cancelling selection).

How to check if autocomplete dropdown was opened ? It can check for any autocomplete box was opened in document body.

jQuery.extend(jQuery.jgrid.edit, {
   beforeShowForm: function ($form) {
            var gridIdEncoded = $.jgrid.jqID($form[0].id.substring(8));
            $("#editmod" + gridIdEncoded).bind('keydown.formEvent', function (e) {
                 if (e.which === 27) {
                   // Todo: How invoke click only if any autocomplete dropdown is not opened
                   $("#TblGrid_" + gridIdEncoded + "_2 #cData").trigger("click");
                   return false;
                   }
               });
         }
     });

Update

I tried Dr. Molle answer using

 if (e.which === 27) {  
   alert( $('.ui-autocomplete.ui-widget:visible').length );
   if ( $('.ui-autocomplete.ui-widget:visible').length != 0 )
     // dropdown is open, allow default behaviour
     return;

but $('.ui-autocomplete.ui-widget:visible').length is 0 if esc is pressed (it is 1 if other key is pressed and dropdown is open). It looks like causing Esc causes causes autocomplete default behaviour first wthis closes dropdown. Only after this my handler is executud which does not find that dropdown is executed.

How fix this ?

Answer 1

Use:

!!$($('autocompleteselector').autocomplete('widget')).is(':visible')

..to check a specific autocomplete.

To check if any dropdown is open use:

!!$('.ui-autocomplete.ui-widget:visible').length