CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptjquerytext
MacMac
MacMac

Reputation: 35301

Get parent element of a selected text

Is it possible to get the parent element of a selected text in the page? For example:

<div class="someparent">

Selection of this text should refer to the 'someparent' class.

<span class="spanparent">If this is selected, the parent should be this span</span>

</div>

Because when getting the selected text, it normally gets it from the window or the document (depending on the browser) but is it that possible to get the parent element of the selected text?

Upvotes: 22

Views: 31031

Answers (3)

ATES
ATES

Reputation: 337

@Tim Down's answer works good, to add more useful code for reaching the specific parent's html content:

function getSelectionParentElement() {
  var parentEl = null, sel;
  if (window.getSelection) {
      sel = window.getSelection();
      if (sel.rangeCount) {
          parentEl = sel.getRangeAt(0).commonAncestorContainer;
          if (parentEl.nodeType != 1) {
              parentEl = parentEl.parentNode;
          }
      }
  } else if ( (sel = document.selection) && sel.type != "Control") {
      parentEl = sel.createRange().parentElement();
  }
  while(true){
      // I want to reach upper <span> parent
      if(parentEl.nodeName == "SPAN"){
          console.log(parentEl);
          break;
      }
      else{
          parentEl = parentEl.parentNode;
      }
  }
}

For example:

function getSelectionParentElement() {
      var parentEl = null, sel;
      if (window.getSelection) {
          sel = window.getSelection();
          if (sel.rangeCount) {
              parentEl = sel.getRangeAt(0).commonAncestorContainer;
              if (parentEl.nodeType != 1) {
                  parentEl = parentEl.parentNode;
              }
          }
      } else if ( (sel = document.selection) && sel.type != "Control") {
          parentEl = sel.createRange().parentElement();
      }
      while(true){
          // I want to reach upper <span> parent
          if(parentEl.nodeName == "P"){
              document.getElementById("printable").innerText = parentEl.innerHTML;
              break;
          }
          else{
              parentEl = parentEl.parentNode;
          }
      }
    }
<head>
    <style type="text/css">
    @media print
    {
        #non-printable { display: none; }
        #printable { display: block; }
    }
    </style>
</head>

<p>The <strong>coronavirus</strong> COVID-19 is affecting <strong>210 <i>countries</i> and territories</strong> around the world and 2 international conveyances.</p>

<div id="printable">Output: </div>
<button onclick="getSelectionParentElement()">Select 'countries' and click me.</button>

Upvotes: 2

chintan adatiya
chintan adatiya

Reputation: 1253

I'd suggest to use this

window.getSelection().anchorNode.parentElement

I have tested in safari osx 10.9

Upvotes: 16

Tim Down
Tim Down

Reputation: 324507

Here's a function that will get you the innermost element that contains the whole of the user selection in all major browsers (except when multiple ranges are selected, which is only supported in Firefox. If this is important, I can expand the example to deal with that case too):

function getSelectionParentElement() {
    var parentEl = null, sel;
    if (window.getSelection) {
        sel = window.getSelection();
        if (sel.rangeCount) {
            parentEl = sel.getRangeAt(0).commonAncestorContainer;
            if (parentEl.nodeType != 1) {
                parentEl = parentEl.parentNode;
            }
        }
    } else if ( (sel = document.selection) && sel.type != "Control") {
        parentEl = sel.createRange().parentElement();
    }
    return parentEl;
}

Upvotes: 54

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