.select()

jQuery

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.select()

Categories: Events > Form Events | Forms

.select( handler(eventObject) ) Returns: jQuery

Description: Bind an event handler to the "select" JavaScript event, or trigger that event on an element.

  • version added: 1.0.select( handler(eventObject) )

    • handler(eventObject)
      Type: Function()
      A function to execute each time the event is triggered.

  • version added: 1.4.3.select( [eventData ], handler(eventObject) )

    • eventData
      Type: PlainObject
      An object containing data that will be passed to the event handler.
    • handler(eventObject)
      Type: Function()
      A function to execute each time the event is triggered.

  • version added: 1.0.select()

    • This method does not accept any arguments.

This method is a shortcut for .on('select', handler) in the first two variations, and .trigger('select') in the third.

The select event is sent to an element when the user makes a text selection inside it. This event is limited to <input type="text"> fields and <textarea> boxes.

For example, consider the HTML:

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                                      <form>
                                    
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      <input id="target" type="text" value="Hello there" />
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                    
                                      </form>
                                    
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                    
                                      <div id="other">
                                    
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      Trigger the handler
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                    
                                      </div>

The event handler can be bound to the text input:

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                                    $('#target').select(function() {
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      alert('Handler for .select() called.');
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                    });

Now when any portion of the text is selected, the alert is displayed. Merely setting the location of the insertion point will not trigger the event. To trigger the event manually, apply .select() without an argument:

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                                    $('#other').click(function() {
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      $('#target').select();
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                    });

After this code executes, clicks on the Trigger button will also alert the message:

Handler for .select() called.

In addition, the default select action on the field will be fired, so the entire text field will be selected.

The method for retrieving the current selected text differs from one browser to another. A number of jQuery plug-ins offer cross-platform solutions.

Examples:

Example: To do something when text in input boxes is selected:

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                                        <!DOCTYPE html>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        <html>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        <head>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <style>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        p { color:blue; }
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        div { color:red; }
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        </style>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <script src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-latest.js"></script>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        </head>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        <body>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                       
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <p>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                          Click and drag the mouse to select text in the inputs.
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        </p>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <input type="text" value="Some text" />
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <input type="text" value="to test on" />
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                       
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <div></div>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        <script>
                                        
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      $(":input").select( function () {
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        $("div").text("Something was selected").show().fadeOut(1000);
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      });
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        </script>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                       
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        </body>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        </html>

Example: To trigger the select event on all input elements, try:

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                                      $("input").select();
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