I am using contenteditable and highlighting some text. I want to then backup that text range, and at a later time give that range(text) a different color. If I check in my zss_editor.restorerange method I do get back a valid selection object, so it must be something incorrect in how I am previously saving that range.

var zss_editor = {};

// The current selection
zss_editor.currentSelection;

zss_editor.backuprange = function(){
    var selection = window.getSelection();
    zss_editor.currentSelection = selection.getRangeAt(0);
    zss_editor.currentSelection.setEnd(zss_editor.currentSelection.startContainer, zss_editor.currentSelection.startOffset);
}

zss_editor.restorerange = function(){
    var selection = window.getSelection();
    selection.removeAllRanges();
    selection.addRange(zss_editor.currentSelection);
    console.log(zss_editor.currentSelection);
}

zss_editor.setTextColor = function(color) {
    zss_editor.restorerange();
    document.execCommand("styleWithCSS", null, true);
    document.execCommand('foreColor', false, color);
    document.execCommand("styleWithCSS", null, false);
}

zss_editor.setBackgroundColor = function(color) {
    zss_editor.restorerange();
    document.execCommand("styleWithCSS", null, true);
    document.execCommand('hiliteColor', false, color);
    document.execCommand("styleWithCSS", null, false);
}

Working example on JS Fiddle: /

Why, when I backup the range and want to restore it at a latter time, does it not work? Do I need to backup the range in a different way?

I am using contenteditable and highlighting some text. I want to then backup that text range, and at a later time give that range(text) a different color. If I check in my zss_editor.restorerange method I do get back a valid selection object, so it must be something incorrect in how I am previously saving that range.

var zss_editor = {};

// The current selection
zss_editor.currentSelection;

zss_editor.backuprange = function(){
    var selection = window.getSelection();
    zss_editor.currentSelection = selection.getRangeAt(0);
    zss_editor.currentSelection.setEnd(zss_editor.currentSelection.startContainer, zss_editor.currentSelection.startOffset);
}

zss_editor.restorerange = function(){
    var selection = window.getSelection();
    selection.removeAllRanges();
    selection.addRange(zss_editor.currentSelection);
    console.log(zss_editor.currentSelection);
}

zss_editor.setTextColor = function(color) {
    zss_editor.restorerange();
    document.execCommand("styleWithCSS", null, true);
    document.execCommand('foreColor', false, color);
    document.execCommand("styleWithCSS", null, false);
}

zss_editor.setBackgroundColor = function(color) {
    zss_editor.restorerange();
    document.execCommand("styleWithCSS", null, true);
    document.execCommand('hiliteColor', false, color);
    document.execCommand("styleWithCSS", null, false);
}

Working example on JS Fiddle: http://jsfiddle/zedsaid/gC3jq/11/

Why, when I backup the range and want to restore it at a latter time, does it not work? Do I need to backup the range in a different way?

• javascript
• range
• contenteditable
• execmand

• Your'e not creating a "back-up" of the range, you'd need cloneRange() to copy a range. – Teemu Commented Jan 7, 2014 at 18:01
• @Teemu Can you post an example? – Nic Hubbard Commented Jan 7, 2014 at 19:21
• 1 Here... Though there's something odd when changing the background, it changes after blurring and refocusing the window. – Teemu Commented Jan 7, 2014 at 19:23

1 Answer 1

You can backup the range by storing the startContainer & startOffset as well as the endContainer & endOffset. To restore, you just create a new range object and set the start and end of that range object then add it to the selection

var zss_editor = {};

// The current selection
zss_editor.currentSelection;

zss_editor.backuprange = function(){
    var selection = window.getSelection();
    var range = selection.getRangeAt(0);
    zss_editor.currentSelection = {"startContainer": range.startContainer, "startOffset":range.startOffset,"endContainer":range.endContainer, "endOffset":range.endOffset};

}

zss_editor.restorerange = function(){
    var selection = window.getSelection();
    selection.removeAllRanges();
    var range = document.createRange();
    range.setStart(zss_editor.currentSelection.startContainer, zss_editor.currentSelection.startOffset);
    range.setEnd(zss_editor.currentSelection.endContainer, zss_editor.currentSelection.endOffset);
    selection.addRange(range);
    console.log(range);
}

zss_editor.setTextColor = function(color) {
    zss_editor.restorerange();
    document.execCommand("styleWithCSS", null, true);
    document.execCommand('foreColor', false, color);
    document.execCommand("styleWithCSS", null, false);
}

zss_editor.setBackgroundColor = function(color) {
    zss_editor.restorerange();
    document.execCommand("styleWithCSS", null, true);
    document.execCommand('hiliteColor', false, color);
    document.execCommand("styleWithCSS", null, false);
}

$('#backup').click(function() {
    zss_editor.backuprange();
});

$('#color1').click(function() {
    zss_editor.setTextColor('#007AFF');
});

$('#color2').click(function() {
    zss_editor.setBackgroundColor('#007AFF');
});