JavaScript Selections: TextRange Objects - Doc JavaScript

home / experts / javascript / column12

TextRange Objects

Developer News

Mandrake Linux Founder Back, Virtually

Amazon: We're a Technology Company

Sun Expands MySQL With Closed Source

A TextRange object represents text in an HTML element. The easiest way to understand this object, which is only available on Win32 platforms (Internet Explorer 4.0x), is to work with an example. Take a look at the following HTML code:

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Sample Page</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<H1>This is a sample page.</H1>
<P>This is some sample text.</P>
</BODY>
</HTML>

An HTML document's text is known as the stream. The stream is basically the entire code, with all tag definitions stripped off. In other words, HTML elements do not affect the stream. For instance, the stream in the previous example is:

This is a sample page. This is some sample text.

The TextRange object reflects the stream for a given portion of the document. With this object you can manipulate the stream to modify the text that appears on the page. You can use this object to retrieve and modify text in an element, to locate specific strings in the text, and to carry out commands that affect the appearance of the text. A TextRange object is usually defined with the desired element's TextRange() method, as demonstrated in the following statement:

var range = document.body.createTextRange();

This method can only be applied to a BODY, BUTTON, TEXTAREA, or an INPUT element having text type (TYPE="text").

Another way to create a TextRange object is to use the document.selection object's createRange() method in the following fashion:

var range = document.selection.createRange();

After selecting a text range, you can use several methods to manipulate the resulting TextRange object. We'll discuss these methods in the next section of this column.

Jupitermedia Corporation has two divisions: Jupiterimages and JupiterOnlineMedia

Jupitermedia Corporate Info

Legal Notices, Licensing, Reprints, Permissions, Privacy Policy.
Advertise | Newsletters | Tech Jobs | Shopping | E-mail Offers

Whitepapers and eBooks

Intel Whitepaper: Comparing Two- and Four-Socket Platforms for Server Virtualization
IBM Solutions Brief: Go Green With IBM System xTM And Intel
HP eBook: Simplifying SQL Server Management
IBM Contest: Are You the Next Superstar? Join the "Search for the XML Superstar" Contest to Find Out
Microsoft PDF: Top 10 Reasons to Move to Server Virtualization with Hyper-V
Microsoft PDF: Six Reasons Why Microsoft's Hyper-V Will Overtake Vmware
Microsoft Step-by-Step Guide: Hyper-V and Failover Clustering
Intel PDF: Quad-Core Impacts More Than the Data Center
Intel PDF: Virtualization Delivers Data Center Efficiency
Go Parallel Article: PDC 2008 in Review
Microsoft PDF: Top 11 Reasons to Upgrade to Windows Server 2008
Avaya Article: Communication-Enabled Mashups: Empowering Both Business Owners and IT
Intel Whitepaper: Building a Real-World Model to Assess Virtualization Platforms

PDF: Intel Centrino Duo Processor Technology with Intel Core2 Duo Processor
Microsoft Article: Build and Run Virtual Machines with Hyper-V Server 2008
Go Parallel Article: Q&A with a TBB Junkie
IBM Whitepaper: Innovative Collaboration to Advance Your Business
Internet.com eBook: Real Life Rails
IBM eBook: The Pros and Cons of Outsourcing
Internet.com eBook: Best Practices for Developing a Web Site
IBM CXO Whitepaper: The 2008 Global CEO Study "The Enterprise of the Future"
Avaya Article: Call Control XML in Action - A CCXML Auto Attendant
IBM CXO Whitepaper: Unlocking the DNA of the Adaptable Workforce--The Global Human Capital Study 2008
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro: Web Conferencing and eLearning Whitepapers
HP eBook: Guide to Storage Networking
MORE WHITEPAPERS, EBOOKS, AND ARTICLES

Webcasts

Attend the IBM Service Management World Tour--Register now!
Video: Intel Launches Data Center Efficiency Initiative
Intel Podcast: Talking vPro
Go Parallel Video: Intel(R) Threading Building Blocks: A New Method for Threading in C++
HP Video: Is Your Data Center Ready for a Real World Disaster?
Microsoft Partner Portal Video: Microsoft Gold Certified Partners Build Successful Practices
HP On Demand Webcast: Virtualization in Action

Go Parallel Video: Performance and Threading Tools for Game Developers
Rackspace Hosting Center: Customer Videos
Intel vPro Developer Virtual Bootcamp
HP Disaster-Proof Solutions eSeminar
HP On Demand Webcast: Discover the Benefits of Virtualization
MORE WEBCASTS, PODCASTS, AND VIDEOS

Downloads and eKits

IBM e-Kit: Reduce Complexity and Cost with BladeCenter
Amyuni Download: PDF & XPS Engine for Your .NET and ActiveX Applications
Acresso Download: Try InstallShield 2009
Microsoft Download: Silverlight 2 SDK
Access Crystal Reports for Eclipse Basic Edition (Free)
30-Day Trial: SPAMfighter Exchange Module

IBM Energy Efficiency e-Kit Shows You How to Reduce Costs
Red Gate Download: SQL Toolbelt
Iron Speed Designer Application Generator
Microsoft Download: Silverlight 2 Developer Runtime (Windows)
MORE DOWNLOADS, EKITS, AND FREE TRIALS

Tutorials and Demos

VMware Online Virtualization Forum: Learn about the benefits of a virtual infrastructure, network with industry experts--Register today!
Demo: Dual-Core Intel Itanium 2 Processor
IBM IT Innovation Article: Green Servers Provide a Competitive Advantage

Microsoft Article: Making Designer/Developer Collaboration a Reality
MORE TUTORIALS, DEMOS AND STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES

The latest from WebReference.com

Popular JavaScript Framework Libraries: An Overview - Part 3 · Accessing Your MySQL Database from the Web with PHP · Working with the DOM Stylesheets Collection

Sitemap · Experts · Tools · Services · Email a Colleague · Contact

FREE Newsletters >

The latest from internet.com

Crucial Triples Up With New Three-Channel DDR3 Kits · Meet the Finalists: Excellence in Technology Awards · Tealeaf Offers Insight to Mobile Customer Behavior

Created: January 279, 1998
Revised: January 29, 1998

URL: http://www.webreference.com/js/column12/textrange.html