files/en-us/web/api/htmltextareaelement/select_event/index.md
{{APIRef("Selection API")}}
The select event fires when some text has been selected.
Use the event name in methods like {{domxref("EventTarget.addEventListener", "addEventListener()")}}, or set an event handler property.
addEventListener("select", (event) => { })
onselect = (event) => { }
A generic {{domxref("Event")}}.
<textarea>Try selecting some text in this element.</textarea>
<p id="log"></p>
function logSelection(event) {
const log = document.getElementById("log");
const selection = event.target.value.substring(
event.target.selectionStart,
event.target.selectionEnd,
);
log.textContent = `You selected: ${selection}`;
}
const textarea = document.querySelector("textarea");
textarea.addEventListener("select", logSelection);
{{EmbedLiveSample("Selection_logger")}}
You can also set up the event handler using the onselect property:
textarea.onselect = logSelection;
{{Specifications}}
{{Compat}}