Select the Content of HTML Element

Javascript Course

Select text in input and textarea fields

<form action="#" method="post">
 <input type="text" name="inp1" id="inp1" value="Click to select" /><br/>
 <textarea name="txta1" id="txta1" cols="20" rows="3">Click to select</textarea>
</form>

<script>
// registers on click event to select #inp1 field data
document.getElementById('inp1').addEventListener('click', function(e){
  e.target.select();
});
  /* e.target is the the clicked element */

// registers on click event to select #txta1 textarea data
document.getElementById('txta1').addEventListener('click', function(e){
  e.target.select();
});
</script>

Select the content of DIV by ID

// selects the content of an element. Receives the object with that element
function selectElmCnt(elm) {
  // for Internet Explorer
  if(document.body.createTextRange) {
    var range = document.body.createTextRange();
    range.moveToElementText(elm);
    range.select();
  }
  else if(window.getSelection) {
    // other browsers
    var selection = window.getSelection();
    var range = document.createRange();
    range.selectNodeContents(elm);
    selection.removeAllRanges();
    selection.addRange(range);
  }
}

<div id="exdv1">
 Courses for Web Programming and Development: https://CoursesWeb.net<br/>
 <span>Other line with child element.</span>
</div>

<script>
// selects the content of an element. Receives the object with that element
function selectElmCnt(elm){
  // for Internet Explorer
  if(document.body.createTextRange) {
    var range = document.body.createTextRange();
    range.moveToElementText(elm);
    range.select();
  }
  else if(window.getSelection) {
    // other browsers
    var selection = window.getSelection();
    var range = document.createRange();
    range.selectNodeContents(elm);
    selection.removeAllRanges();
    selection.addRange(range);
  }
}

// registers on click event to use the selectElmCnt() function whewn click on #exdv1 div
document.getElementById('exdv1').addEventListener('click', function(){
  selectElmCnt(this);
});
</script>

Select content of multiple elements with same class

<div class="excls">Click to select - Simple Div</div>
<pre class="excls">Content in PRE tag</pre>
<div class="excls">Another Div with same class</div>
<blockquote class="excls">Content in a blockquote html tag.</blockquote>

<script>
// selects the content of an element. Receives the object with that element
function selectElmCnt(elm) {
  // for Internet Explorer
  if(document.body.createTextRange) {
    var range = document.body.createTextRange();
    range.moveToElementText(elm);
    range.select();
  }
  else if(window.getSelection) {
    // other browsers
    var selection = window.getSelection();
    var range = document.createRange();
    range.selectNodeContents(elm);
    selection.removeAllRanges();
    selection.addRange(range);
  }
}

//get array with all .excls elements
var excls = document.querySelectorAll('.excls');

//register click to each excls item that calls selectElmCnt()
for(var i=0; i<excls.length; i++){
  excls[i].addEventListener('click', function(){
    selectElmCnt(this);
  });
}
</script>

Content in PRE tag