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Selection.getBeginIndex()

Returns

The index of the first character in the current selection (highlighted block of text). If no text field has keyboard focus, it returns -1. If a text field has focus but no characters are selected, it returns the value of Selection.getCaretIndex( ).

Description

The getBeginIndex( ) method identifies the beginning of a selection. To determine the span of characters currently selected, use both getBeginIndex( ) and getEndIndex( ).

Example

The following example creates a string representing the currently selected characters and then displays that string in the Output window:

var firstChar = Selection.getBeginIndex();
var lastChar  = Selection.getEndIndex();
// eval( ) is required because Selection.getFocus( ) returns a string
var currentSelection =
    eval(Selection.getFocus()).text.substring(firstChar, lastChar);
trace(currentSelection);

The following code extends the current selection by one character to the left:

Selection.setSelection(Selection.getBeginIndex()-1, Selection.getEndIndex());

See Also

Selection.getCaretIndex( ), Selection.getEndIndex( ), TextField.replaceSel( )

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