I have a contenteditable div (with id 'editor1') that allows users to input text. There is then a function that allows them to color any highlighted text. My js uses window.getSelection().getRangeAt(0), but the issue with this is that they can highlight words outside of the div and their color will change as well. So far; I've tried:

        function red(){
    {       
        var getText = document.getElementById("editor1").innerHTML;
        var selection = getText.getSelection().getRangeAt(0);
        var selectedText = selection.extractContents();
        var span = document.createElement("span");
        span.style.color = "red";
        span.appendChild(selectedText);
        selection.insertNode(span);
    }
    }

Fiddle: /

As you can see, if I highlight "this will become red as well", I can use the button to make that red too. How can I only color the highlighted text only within the editor1 div?

I have a contenteditable div (with id 'editor1') that allows users to input text. There is then a function that allows them to color any highlighted text. My js uses window.getSelection().getRangeAt(0), but the issue with this is that they can highlight words outside of the div and their color will change as well. So far; I've tried:

        function red(){
    {       
        var getText = document.getElementById("editor1").innerHTML;
        var selection = getText.getSelection().getRangeAt(0);
        var selectedText = selection.extractContents();
        var span = document.createElement("span");
        span.style.color = "red";
        span.appendChild(selectedText);
        selection.insertNode(span);
    }
    }

Fiddle: https://jsfiddle.net/xacqzhvq/

As you can see, if I highlight "this will become red as well", I can use the button to make that red too. How can I only color the highlighted text only within the editor1 div?

• javascript
• html
• css

• Which browser it is? On chrome 51 it works – avck Commented Aug 4, 2016 at 5:16
• 1 I know the function works; but I don't want anything outside of the div "editor1" to be able to change colour as well. Scroll down in the fiddle; there's a line of text outside the div that can also be colored red using the button - I don't want that; I only want any text INSIDE the div to be able to be colored. – cosmo Commented Aug 4, 2016 at 5:17

3 Answers 3

You are able to get the node element from the selection using .baseNode. From there you can get the parent node and use that for comparison.

function red(){
    // If it's not the element with an id of "foo" stop the function and return
    if(window.getSelection().baseNode.parentNode.id != "foo") return;
    ...
    // Highlight if it is our div.
}

In the example below I made the div have an id that you can check to make sure it's that element:

Demo

As @z0mBi3 noted, this will work the first time. But may not work for many highlights (if they happen to get cleared). The <span> elements inside the div create a hierarchy where the div is the parent elements of many span elements. The solution to this would be to take traverse up through the ancestors of the node until you find one with the id of "foo".

Luckily you can use jQuery to do that for you by using their .closest() method:

if($(window.getSelection().baseNode).closest("#foo").attr("id") != "foo") return;

Here is an answer with a native JS implemented method of .closest().

Try This Code :

function addBold(){
 
if(window.getSelection().focusNode.parentElement.closest("#editor").id != "editor") return;

 





  const selection = window.getSelection().getRangeAt(0);
  
  let selectedParent = selection.commonAncestorContainer.parentElement;
  

  let mainParent = selectedParent;
  
  if(selectedParent.closest("b"))
  {
  //Unbold
    var text = document.createTextNode(selectedParent.textContent);
    mainParent = selectedParent.parentElement;
    mainParent.insertBefore(text, selectedParent);
    mainParent.removeChild(selectedParent);
    mainParent.normalize();
  }
  else
  {
    const span = document.createElement("b");
    span.appendChild(selection.extractContents());
    selection.insertNode(span);
    mainParent.normalize();
  }
  

  if (window.getSelection) {
    if (window.getSelection().empty) {  // Chrome
      window.getSelection().empty();
    } else if (window.getSelection().removeAllRanges) {  // Firefox
      window.getSelection().removeAllRanges();
    }
  } else if (document.selection) {  // IE?
    document.selection.empty();
  }




};

<div id="editor" contenteditable="true">

You are the programmers of the future 

</div>


<button onclick="addBold()">Bold</button>

I got the code and added my edits from those following answers :

Bold/unbold selected text using Window.getSelection()

getSelection().focusNode inside a specific id doesn't work

Are you looking for this,

  //html
  <body>
     <p id='editor1'>asdf</p>
     <button onclick='red()'>
     RED
     </button>
  </body>

  //JavaScript

    window.red = function(){
        //var getText = document.getElementById("editor1").innerHTML;
        var selection = window.getSelection().getRangeAt(0);
        var selectedText = selection.extractContents();
        var span = document.createElement("span");
        span.style.color = "red";
        span.appendChild(selectedText);
        selection.insertNode(span);
    }

Plunker: https://plnkr.co/edit/FSFBADoh83Pp93z1JI3g?p=preview