JavaScript Selections: Retrieving Selections in Navigator 4.0x - Doc JavaScript

Retrieving Selections in Navigator 4.0x

Navigator 4.0x features the getSelection() method of the document object. This method returns a string containing the text of the current selection. Its general syntax is:

document.getSelection()

The following example demonstrates the getSelection() method:

<FORM NAME="myForm">
<TEXTAREA NAME="myArea" COLS="40" ROWS="4"></TEXTAREA>
</FORM>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
<!--
function display() {
  if (!document.getSelection)
    return;
  var str = document.getSelection();
  document.myForm.myArea.value = str;
}
if (window.Event)
  document.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEUP);
document.onmouseup = display;
// -->
</SCRIPT>

The script displays the current selection in a box. At first, it instructs the browser to capture all mouseup events. As explained in Column 9, Column 10, and Column 11, this is only required for Navigator 4.0x, so a simple object detection routine makes sure the browser is Navigator 4.0x before executing the statement.

The event processing function first assigns the selection's text to a variable named str. It then assigns that variable to the value property of the form element, so the selection is displayed in the box. Now go ahead and drag the mouse over some text. If you're using Navigator 4.0x, the selection will immediately display in the box.