Selection properties

The Selection interface supports the following properties.

CanChange(strElementName) 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Indicates whether the container of the selection can be changed to the specified strElementName
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.CanChange("strElementName"); 
VBScript  Selection_object.CanChange("strElementName")  
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT: 
if (Selection.CanChange("PRE")) 
  { Selection.ContainerName="PRE"; } 
else 
  { Application.Alert("Can't change to PRE!"); }
 

CanInsert(strElementName) 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Indicates whether the element strElementName can replace the selection. See also CanSurround
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.CanInsert("strElementName"); 
VBScript  Selection_object.CanInsert("strElementName") 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
if (Selection.CanInsert("P")) {
   Selection.InsertElement("P");
}
else {
   Application.Alert("Can't insert P here!");
}
 

CanInsertText 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Indicates whether text can be inserted at the selection. 
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.CanInsertText; 
VBScript  Selection_object.CanInsertText 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
if (Selection.CanInsertText) {
   Selection.Text="OK to insert text here!";
}
else {
   Application.Alert("Can't insert text here!");
}
 

CanSurround(strElementName) 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Indicates whether the selection can be surrounded by the specified strElementName
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.CanSurround("strElementName"); 
VBScript  Selection_object.CanSurround("strElementName")  
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
if (Selection.CanSurround("P")) {
   Selection.Surround("P");
}
else {
   Application.Alert("Can't surround with P!");
}
 

CanPaste(strText, [boolInterpret=false]) 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description 

If boolInterpret is false, CanPaste indicates whether the specified strText can be pasted over the selection using a basic paste, as done with Selection.PasteString (that is, if the paste would not be valid, HoTMetaL PRO will not attempt to rearrange the markup in order to make it valid; the paste will simply be disallowed). The string can contain markup, which will be parsed in order to determine whether it can be pasted.

If boolInterpret is true, CanPaste tests whether strText can be pasted by Selection.PasteStringWithInterpret, which will paste strText as an HTML table if it is tab-formatted as a table.

 
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.CanPaste("String"); 
VBScript  Selection_object.CanPaste("String")  
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
if (Selection.CanPaste("<P></P>")) {
   Selection.PasteString("<P></P");
}
else {
   Application.Alert("Can't paste '<P></P'");
}
 

ContainerAttribute(strAttrName) 
Access  Read/write 
Type  String 
Description  Sets or returns the value of the strAttrName attribute for the selection's container (if the container is an element).  
Usage   
JScript  Selection_object.ContainerAttribute("strAttrName");  
VBScript  Selection_object.ContainerAttribute("strAttrName") 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
// This returns the value of the "Id" attribute for the 
// selection's container
Application.Alert(Selection.ContainerAttribute("Id"));
// This sets the value of the "Id" attribute for the 
// selection's container
Selection.ContainerAttribute("Id")="Newvalue";
Application.Alert(Selection.ContainerAttribute("Id"));
 

ContainerName 
Access  Read/write 
Type  String 
Description  Sets or returns the name of the container that contains the selection. If the container is an element, the element name is returned. Other container names are:
  • .PROCINS: processing instruction
  • .COMMENT: comment.
Set changes the container's element type (if legal).  
Usage   
JScript 
vbl = Selection_object.ContainerName;
Selection_object.ContainerName = strName;
 
VBScript 
vbl = Selection_object.ContainerName
Selection_object.ContainerName = strName
 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT: 
// display container name 
Application.Alert(Selection.ContainerName); 
// change the container to PRE 
Selection.ContainerName="PRE"; 
 

ContainerNode 
Access  Read-only 
Type  DOMNode 
Description  Returns the DOMNode corresponding to the selection's container. 
Usage   
JScript  Selection_object.ContainerNode;  
VBScript  Selection_object.ContainerNode 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
Application.Alert(Selection.ContainerNode.nodeName);
 

Contains(Range, [boolIncludesAsEdge=false]) 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Indicates whether the selection completely contains the specified Range. If the optional argument boolIncludesAsEdge is true, then Contains will return true if the Range is an insertion point at the left or right edge of the selection.  
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.Contains(Range_object, [boolIncludesAsEdge]); 
VBScript  Selection_object.Contains(Range_object, [boolIncludesAsEdge])  

Document 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Document 
Description  Returns the Document object that contains the selection. 
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.Document; 
VBScript  Selection_object.Document 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
var curDoc=Selection.Document;
Application.Alert(curDoc.FullName);
 

ElementAttribute(strAttrName, strElementName, [longSkipNum=0]) (Extension to DOM)  
Access  Read/write 
Type  String 
Description  Sets or returns value of the attribute strAttrName from the specified element strElementName (if it is the selection's container or other ancestor). If longSkipNum is specified, that number of elements of the same name will be skipped (useful for nested tables).  
Usage   
JScript  Selection_object.ElementAttribute("strAttrName", "strElementName", [longSkipNum=0]);  
VBScript  Selection_object.ElementAttribute("strAttrname", "strElementName", [longSkipNum=0]) 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
// Return the value of the WIDTH attribute 
// from the TABLE element
var attr = Selection.ElementAttribute("WIDTH", "TABLE");
 

ElementName(longLevels) 
Access  Read-only 
Type  String 
Description  Returns the name of the ancestor element of the current selection, longLevels levels up. A value of 0 returns the name of selection's container.  
Usage   
JScript  Selection_object.ElementName(longLevels);  
VBScript  Selection_object.ElementName(longLevels) 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
// return the name of the selection container's
// parent element
Application.Alert(Selection.ElementName(1));
 

Find 
Access  Read-only 
Type  Find 
Description  Provides access to the Find object. This will enable you to perform find and replace operations in the document.  
Usage   
JScript  Selection_object.Find;  
VBScript  Selection_object.Find 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
// will locate and select "some text"
Selection.Find.Execute("some text");  
 

Font 
Access  read  
Type  Font 
Description  Allows access to the Font object of the selected text. This property applies only to HTML documents. 
Usage   
JScript  Selection_object.Font;  
VBScript  Selection_object.Font 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT: 
Application.Alert(Selection.Font.Size);
 

hasAttribute(strAttrName) 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Indicates whether an attribute strAttrName has been declared for the selection's container (the attribute may or may not have a value).  
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.hasAttribute("strAttrName"); 
VBScript  Selection_object.hasAttribute("strAttrName")  
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
if (Selection.hasAttribute("ID")) {
  Application.Alert("Identifier element.");
}
 

HorizontalAlignment 
Access  Read/write 
Type  Integer 
Description  Gets or sets the horizontal alignment of the element containing the selection. The allowed values are:
  • 0: Left align
  • 1: Center align
  • 2: Right align
  • 3: Justify (right and left align)
  • 4: Unset
 
Usage   
JScript 
vbl = Selection_object.HorizontalAlignment;
Selection_object.HorizontalAlignment = intAlign;
 
VBScript 
vbl = Selection_object.HorizontalAlignment
Selection_object.HorizontalAlignment = intAlign
 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
Selection.HorizontalAlignment = 1;
 

IsAdjacent(Range) 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Indicates whether the selection is adjacent to the specified Range
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.IsAdjacent(Range_object); 
VBScript  Selection_object.IsAdjacent(Range_object)  

IsEqual(Range) 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Indicates whether the selection is equal to the specified Range
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.IsEqual(Range_object); 
VBScript  Selection_object.IsEqual(Range_object)  

IsGreaterThan(Range, [boolOrEqual=false]) 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean  
Description  Indicates whether the left end of the selection is greater than (that is, is to the right of) the left end of the specified Range. If the optional argument boolOrEqual is true, then IsGreaterThan will return true if the left end of the selection is equal to the left edge of the Range.  
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.IsGreaterThan(Range_object, [boolOrEqual]); 
VBScript  Selection_object.IsGreaterThan(Range_object, [boolOrEqual]) 

IsInsertionPoint 
Access  Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  True if the selection is an insertion point (that is, it has no content).  
Usage   
JScript  Selection_object.IsInsertionPoint;  
VBScript  Selection_object.IsInsertionPoint 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
Application.Alert(Selection.IsInsertionPoint);
 

IsLessThan(Range, [boolOrEqual=false]) 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Indicates whether the left end of the selection is less than (that is, to the left of) the left end of the specified Range. If the optional argument boolOrEqual is true, then IsLessThan will return true if the left end of the selection is equal to the left edge of the Range.  
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.IsLessThan(Range_object, [boolOrEqual]); 
VBScript  Selection_object.IsLessThan(Range_object, [boolOrEqual])  

IsParentElement(strElementName) 
Access  Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Indicates whether the element strElementName is an ancestor of the selection, at any level. 
Usage   
JScript  Selection_object.IsParentElement("strElementName");  
VBScript  Selection_object.IsParentElement("strElementName") 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
var isparent;

isparent = Selection.IsParentElement("PRE");
 

IsValid 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Indicates whether the selection is valid. Displays no messages to the user. Returns true if the selection is an insertion point. See also Selection.Validate, Document.Validate and Document.IsValid
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.IsValid; 
VBScript  Selection_object.IsValid 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
if (Selection.IsValid) {
   Application.Alert("Selection is valid!");
}
else {
   Application.Alert("Selection is not valid!");
}
 

Overlaps(Range) 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Indicates whether the selection overlaps the specified Range
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.Overlaps(Range_object); 
VBScript  Selection_object.Overlaps(Range_object) 

ReadOnly 
Access   Read-only 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Returns true if the selection's container or one of its ancestors is read-only. 
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.ReadOnly; 
VBScript  Selection_object.ReadOnly 

ReadOnlyContainer 
Access   Read/write 
Type  Boolean 
Description  Returns or sets the selection's container's read-only flag. 
Usage 
JScript  Selection_object.ReadOnlyContainer; 
VBScript  Selection_object.ReadOnlyContainer 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
if (Selection.ContainerAttribute("Status")=="RO")
    Selection.ReadOnlyContainer = true;
 

Style 
Access  Read/write 
Type  String 
Description  Returns or sets the style element for the selection.  
Usage   
JScript  Selection_object.Style;  
VBScript  Selection_object.Style 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
// display the style of the selection
Application.Alert(Selection.Style); 
 

Text 
Access  Read/write 
Type  String 
Description  Provides access to the text in the document's selection. If the selection contains any tag icons, they are returned as text. Assigning a string to Selection_object.Text replaces the selection, if the rules allow it. 
Usage   
JScript 
vbl = Selection_object.Text;
Selection_object.Text = strText;
 
VBScript 
vbl = Selection_object.Text
Selection_object.Text = strText
 
Example 
// SoftQuad Script Language JSCRIPT:
// grab current selected text
Application.Alert(Selection.Text);  
// replace selected text with "new text"
Selection.Text = "new text";  
 


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Copyright © SoftQuad Software Inc. 1999