Range.selectNodeContents()

The Range.selectNodeContents() method sets the Range to contain the contents of a Node.

The parent Node of the start and end of the Range will be the reference node. The startOffset is 0, and the endOffset is the number of child Nodes or number of characters contained in the reference node.

Syntax

range.selectNodeContents(referenceNode);

Parameters

referenceNode: The Node whose contents will be selected within a Range.

Example

range = document.createRange();
referenceNode = document.getElementsByTagName("div")[0];
range.selectNodeContents(referenceNode);

Live sample

This example lets the user select and deselect a paragraph with buttons. Document.createRange(), Range.selectNodeContents(), and Selection.addRange() are used to select the content. Window.getSelection() and Selection.removeAllRanges() are used to deselect it.

HTML

<p id="p"><b>Use the buttons below</b> to select or deselect the contents of this paragraph.</p>
<button id="select-button">Select paragraph</button>
<button id="deselect-button">Deselect paragraph</button>

JavaScript

const p = document.getElementById('p');
const selectButton = document.getElementById('select-button');
const deselectButton = document.getElementById('deselect-button');

selectButton.addEventListener('click', e => {
  // Clear any current selection
  const selection = window.getSelection();
  selection.removeAllRanges();

  // Select paragraph
  const range = document.createRange();
  range.selectNodeContents(p);
  selection.addRange(range);
});

deselectButton.addEventListener('click', e => {
  const selection = window.getSelection();
  selection.removeAllRanges();
});

Result

Specifications

Specification
DOM Standard (DOM) # dom-range-selectnodecontents

Browser compatibility

	Desktop						Mobile
	Chrome	Edge	Firefox	Internet Explorer	Opera	Safari	WebView Android	Chrome Android	Firefox for Android	Opera Android	Safari on IOS	Samsung Internet
`selectNodeContents`	1	12	1	9	9	1	1	18	4	10.1	1	1.0