Storing Highlighted text in a variable

Question

Is there a javascript function that will allow me to capture the text that is currently highlighted with the cursor and store it in a variable? I've been trying document.selection.createRange().text but this hasn't been working. Are there any possible alternatives? Here's the code:

function moremagic(){
var output = document.selection.createRange();
alert("I Work!");}

When I run the function, it doesn't make it to the write statement so I know something is wrong.

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:15

1

Ungraciously stolen from another question:

function getSelectedText() {
    if (window.getSelection) {
        return window.getSelection();
    }
    else if (document.selection) {
        return document.selection.createRange().text;
    }
    return '';
}

Use this in a "onClick" function or whatever and it will return the selected text in almost any browser.

edited May 23 '17 at 12:15

Community

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answered Jul 19 '10 at 20:42

Organiccat

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`window.getSelection()` will return a `Selection` object, not a string. – Tim Down Jul 20 '10 at 09:07
The way I read it, it's just for checking the return value for a browser check. One works in "all" browsers, the other works in IE ;) – Organiccat Jul 21 '10 at 00:22
I think you misunderstood. You're correct that it's checking for the existence of objects/functions before using them. The issue is that this function will return a `Selection` object in non-IE browsers and a string in IE. You need to call `toString()` on the `Selection` before returning. – Tim Down Jul 21 '10 at 08:27

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 19 '10 at 20:18

0

Yep, you want window.getSelection.

answered Jul 19 '10 at 20:18

oldestlivingboy

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Oops, I forgot IE implements “document.selection” instead. So if you want cross-browser code, you need to branch. – oldestlivingboy Jul 19 '10 at 20:24

Tim Down · Answer 3 · 2011-06-30T22:30:05.900

0

function getSelectedText() {
    if (window.getSelection) {
        return "" + window.getSelection();
    } else if (document.selection && document.selection.type == "Text") {
        return document.selection.createRange().text;
    }
    return "";
}

edited Jun 30 '11 at 22:30

answered Jul 20 '10 at 09:02

Tim Down

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Storing Highlighted text in a variable

3 Answers3

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