How to get selected/highlighted text from using Javascript?</a></h1> </div> <div class="grid fw-wrap pb8 mb16 bb bc-black-075"> <div class="grid--cell ws-nowrap mr16 mb8" title="2016-01-12 19:07:53Z"> <span class="fc-light mr2">Asked</span> <time itemprop="dateCreated" datetime="2012-05-03T06:52:00.670" class="fromnow">May 03 '12 at 06:52</time> </div> <div class="grid--cell ws-nowrap mr16 mb8"> <span class="fc-light mr2">Active</span> <time class="fromnow" title="2012-05-03T07:05:37.957" datetime="2012-05-03T07:05:37.957">May 03 '12 at 07:05</a> </div> <div class="grid--cell ws-nowrap mb8" title="Viewed 19,747 times"> <span class="fc-light mr2">Viewed</span> 2.0k times </div> </div> <div id="mainbar" role="main" aria-label="questions and answers"> <div id="question" class="question" data-questionid="10426495" data-ownerid="1348003" data-score="2"> <div class="post-layout"> <div class="votecell post-layout--left"> <div class="js-voting-container grid jc-center fd-column ai-stretch gs4 fc-black-200" data-post-id="10426495"> <button class="js-vote-up-btn grid--cell s-btn s-btnunset c-pointer"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="m0 svg-icon iconArrowUpLg" width="36" height="36" viewBox="0 0 36 36"><path d="M2 26h32L18 10 2 26z"></path></svg></button> <div class="js-vote-count grid--cell fc-black-500 fs-title grid fd-column ai-center" itemprop="upvoteCount" data-value="2">2</div> <button class="js-bookmark-btn s-btn s-btnunset c-pointer py4"> <svg aria-hidden="true" class="svg-icon iconBookmark" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 18 18"><path d="M6 1a2 2 0 00-2 2v14l5-4 5 4V3a2 2 0 00-2-2H6zm3.9 3.83h2.9l-2.35 1.7.9 2.77L9 7.59l-2.35 1.7.9-2.76-2.35-1.7h2.9L9 2.06l.9 2.77z"></path></svg> <div class="js-bookmark-count mt4" data-value=""></div> </button> </div> </div> <div class="postcell post-layout--right"> <div class="s-prose js-post-body" itemprop="text"><p>I have a <code><textarea></code> which I want to use as a editing panel similar to the ones found in most bulletin boards and forums (even like the one in here). There has to be a 'bold text' button which should bold the currently selected/highlighted text in the <code><textarea></code>.</p> <p>How do I do so using javascript.</p> <p>For example if the following belongs in the <code><body></code>-</p> <pre><code><textarea id="txtArea">Some text here.</textarea> <input type="button" id="btnCmd" onclick="boldthis('txtArea');" value="Bold"> </code></pre> <p>How do I complete the javascript code <code>function boldthis(elementid){}</code> so I can do at least collect the selected text in <code><textarea id="txtArea"></code>?</p> <p><em>You may or may not use the example I used to describe your explaination, as long as I understand the logic. Thanks for reading.</em></p></div> <div class="mt24 mb12"> <div class="post-taglist grid gs4 gsy fd-column"> <div class="grid ps-relative"> <a href="../../questions/tagged/javascript" class="post-tag js-gps-track" title="show questions tagged 'javascript'" rel="tag">javascript</a> <a href="../../questions/tagged/html" class="post-tag js-gps-track" title="show questions tagged 'html'" rel="tag">html</a> <a href="../../questions/tagged/textarea" class="post-tag js-gps-track" title="show questions tagged 'textarea'" rel="tag">textarea</a> <a href="../../questions/tagged/selection" class="post-tag js-gps-track" title="show questions tagged 'selection'" rel="tag">selection</a> <a href="../../questions/tagged/highlight" class="post-tag js-gps-track" title="show questions tagged 'highlight'" rel="tag">highlight</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mb0"> <div class="mt16 grid gs8 gsy fw-wrap jc-end ai-start pt4 mb16"> <div class="grid--cell mr16 fl1 w96"></div> <div class="post-signature owner grid--cell"> <div class="s-user-card s-user-card"> <time class="s-user-card--time" datetime="asked May 03 '12 at 06:52">asked May 03 '12 at 06:52</time> <a href="../../users/1348003/samik-sengupta" class="s-avatar s-avatar32 s-user-card--avatar"> <img class="s-avatar--image" src="../../users/profiles/1348003.webp" data-jdenticon-width="32" data-jdenticon-height="32" data-jdenticon-value="Samik Sengupta" /> </a> <div class="s-user-card--info"> <a href="../../users/1348003/samik-sengupta" class="s-user-card--link">Samik Sengupta</a> <ul class="s-user-card--awards"> <li class="s-user-card--rep" title="reputation score">1,944</li> <li class="s-award-bling s-award-blinggold" title="9 gold badges">9</li> <li class="s-award-bling s-award-blingsilver" title="31 silver badges">31</li> <li class="s-award-bling s-award-blingbronze" title="51 bronze badges">51</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-layout--right js-post-comments-component"> </div> </div> </div> <div id="answers"> <a name="tab-top"></a> <div id="answers-header"> <div class="answers-subheader grid ai-center mb8"> <div class="grid--cell fl1"> <h2 class="mb0" data-answercount="9">0 Answers<span style="display:none;" itemprop="answerCount">0</span></h2> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="sidebar" class="show-votes" role="complementary" aria-label="sidebar"> <div class="module sidebar-linked"> <h4 id="h-linked">Linked</h4> <div class="linked"> <div class="spacer"> <a title="Vote score (upvotes - downvotes)"><div class="answer-votes answered-accepted default">4</div></a> <a href="../../questions/37514684/getting-and-setting-of-a-text-selection-in-a-textarea" class="question-hyperlink">Getting and setting of a text selection in a textarea</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <script src="../../static/js/stack-icons.js"></script> <script src="../../static/js/fromnow.js"></script> </body> </html>