JavaScript Selections: Introduction - Doc JavaScript

JavaScript Selections

With Navigator 4.0x and Internet Explorer 4.0x, it is possible to retrieve the contents of the user's selection in a page. In Internet Explorer 4.0x, you can select any element, including text and images. However, Navigator 4.0x only supports text selections.

In this column we'll discuss the differences between selections in Navigator 4.0x and Internet Explorer 4.0x. Navigator 4.0x, as opposed to Internet Explorer 4.0x, relies less on the client's operating system, so some of the system's typical behavior is not implemented.

Navigator 4.0x features a single method that returns the text of the current selection in the form of a string. Internet Explorer 4.0x ties selections with text ranges. In this column we'll explain:

1. How Navigator 4.0x and Internet Explorer 4.0x handle selections.
2. How to use selection-related event handlers.
3. How to retrieve a selection in Navigator 4.0x.
4. How to use the selection object in Internet Explorer 4.0x.
5. How to create a TextRange object in Internet Explorer 4.0x.
6. How to utilize a TextRange object's properties and methods.
7. How to retrieve the current selection with Navigator 4.0x and Internet Explorer 4.0x.