I'm working on a web app that allows a user to select some text, click a button, and save the highlighted text. This works great in desktop browsers, (chrome for this example), but in iOS I'm having issues with the native text selection, where the user can change the selected text.

Here is the JsFiddle showing the issue (issue only exists in iOS): /

1. User starts text selection

2. User expands their text selection, and clicks "Show the selected text above"

3. Only the first selected word "The" shows up, even though I want "The Path of the righteous man"

1 Begin

2 Select Text and hit button

3 Only "The"

Here is the JS I am using:

$(function() {
    $('#actionButton').click(function() {
        $('#result').text(selectedRange.toString());
    });
    
    $('#slipsum').on('mouseup touchend','p', function() { 
        getSelectedRange();
    });
});

var selectedRange = null;

var getSelectedRange = function() {
    if (window.getSelection) {
        selectedRange = window.getSelection().getRangeAt(0);
    } else {
        selectedRange = document.getSelection().getRangeAt(0);
    }
};​

HTML:

<h3>Selected Text:</h3>
<p id="result">
</p>
<br/>
<p>
    <input type="button" id="actionButton" value="Show the selected text above" />
</p>
<!-- start slipsum code -->
<div id="slipsum">
<h1>Is she dead, yes or no?</h1>
<p>Do you see any Teletubbies in here? Do you see a slender plastic tag clipped to my shirt with my name printed on it? Do you see a little Asian child with a blank expression on his face sitting outside on a mechanical helicopter that shakes when you put quarters in it? No? Well, that's what you see at a toy store. And you must think you're in a toy store, because you're here shopping for an infant named Jeb. </p>

<h1>So, you cold?</h1>
<p>The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee. </p>

<h1>I'm serious as a heart attack</h1>
<p>Do you see any Teletubbies in here? Do you see a slender plastic tag clipped to my shirt with my name printed on it? Do you see a little Asian child with a blank expression on his face sitting outside on a mechanical helicopter that shakes when you put quarters in it? No? Well, that's what you see at a toy store. And you must think you're in a toy store, because you're here shopping for an infant named Jeb. </p>

<h1>Is she dead, yes or no?</h1>
<p>Like you, I used to think the world was this great place where everybody lived by the same standards I did, then some kid with a nail showed me I was living in his world, a world where chaos rules not order, a world where righteousness is not rewarded. That's Cesar's world, and if you're not willing to play by his rules, then you're gonna have to pay the price. </p>

<h1>Is she dead, yes or no?</h1>
<p>Your bones don't break, mine do. That's clear. Your cells react to bacteria and viruses differently than mine. You don't get sick, I do. That's also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We're on the same curve, just on opposite ends. </p>
</div>
<!-- please do not remove this line -->

<div style="display:none;">
<a href=";>lorem ipsum</a></div>

<!-- end slipsum code -->
​

I'm working on a web app that allows a user to select some text, click a button, and save the highlighted text. This works great in desktop browsers, (chrome for this example), but in iOS I'm having issues with the native text selection, where the user can change the selected text.

Here is the JsFiddle showing the issue (issue only exists in iOS): http://jsfiddle/JasonMore/gWZfb/

1. User starts text selection

2. User expands their text selection, and clicks "Show the selected text above"

3. Only the first selected word "The" shows up, even though I want "The Path of the righteous man"

1 Begin

2 Select Text and hit button

3 Only "The"

Here is the JS I am using:

$(function() {
    $('#actionButton').click(function() {
        $('#result').text(selectedRange.toString());
    });
    
    $('#slipsum').on('mouseup touchend','p', function() { 
        getSelectedRange();
    });
});

var selectedRange = null;

var getSelectedRange = function() {
    if (window.getSelection) {
        selectedRange = window.getSelection().getRangeAt(0);
    } else {
        selectedRange = document.getSelection().getRangeAt(0);
    }
};​

HTML:

<h3>Selected Text:</h3>
<p id="result">
</p>
<br/>
<p>
    <input type="button" id="actionButton" value="Show the selected text above" />
</p>
<!-- start slipsum code -->
<div id="slipsum">
<h1>Is she dead, yes or no?</h1>
<p>Do you see any Teletubbies in here? Do you see a slender plastic tag clipped to my shirt with my name printed on it? Do you see a little Asian child with a blank expression on his face sitting outside on a mechanical helicopter that shakes when you put quarters in it? No? Well, that's what you see at a toy store. And you must think you're in a toy store, because you're here shopping for an infant named Jeb. </p>

<h1>So, you cold?</h1>
<p>The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee. </p>

<h1>I'm serious as a heart attack</h1>
<p>Do you see any Teletubbies in here? Do you see a slender plastic tag clipped to my shirt with my name printed on it? Do you see a little Asian child with a blank expression on his face sitting outside on a mechanical helicopter that shakes when you put quarters in it? No? Well, that's what you see at a toy store. And you must think you're in a toy store, because you're here shopping for an infant named Jeb. </p>

<h1>Is she dead, yes or no?</h1>
<p>Like you, I used to think the world was this great place where everybody lived by the same standards I did, then some kid with a nail showed me I was living in his world, a world where chaos rules not order, a world where righteousness is not rewarded. That's Cesar's world, and if you're not willing to play by his rules, then you're gonna have to pay the price. </p>

<h1>Is she dead, yes or no?</h1>
<p>Your bones don't break, mine do. That's clear. Your cells react to bacteria and viruses differently than mine. You don't get sick, I do. That's also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We're on the same curve, just on opposite ends. </p>
</div>
<!-- please do not remove this line -->

<div style="display:none;">
<a href="http://slipsum.">lorem ipsum</a></div>

<!-- end slipsum code -->
​

• javascript
• jquery
• ios
• dom
• safari

• 2 Give this jQuery plugin a try and see if it works jamesmgreene.github./jquery.textSelect – John Culviner Commented Jul 3, 2012 at 15:32
• Funny, I sit right behind James. Are you working in Eagan too then? – Jason More Commented Jul 3, 2012 at 17:54
• The mouseups and mousedowns don't translate to iOS. I changed them to touchstart and touchend, and have something closer. Thanks – Jason More Commented Jul 3, 2012 at 18:15
• 1 Naww I work in St. Paul but for TR as well. I saw him present at TCCC and thought he had textSelect pretty nailed down though! – John Culviner Commented Jul 3, 2012 at 18:25
• Yeah, sorry, the TR proprietary form of this special event had touch support built in but I haven't added it to the [better] open source version as I wanted to do a little more research on possible duplicate firing of touch and mouse events: github./JamesMGreene/jquery.textSelect/issues/3 – James M. Greene Commented Feb 8, 2013 at 21:27

1 Answer 1

To anyone who stumbles upon this issue in the future, here is the resolution:

http://jsfiddle/JasonMore/gWZfb/

$(function() {
    $('#actionButton').click(function() {
        if (selectedRange) {
            $('#result').text(selectedRange.toString());
            clearInterval(timer);
        }
    });

    timer = setInterval(getSelectedRange, 150);
});

var timer = null;

var selectedRange = null;

var getSelectedRange = function() {
    try {
        if (window.getSelection) {
            selectedRange = window.getSelection().getRangeAt(0);
        } else {
            selectedRange = document.getSelection().getRangeAt(0);
        }
    } catch (err) {

    }

};​