Selected text inside div

Answer 1

The solution change based on the current browser, with older version of jQuery I use $.browser, but now is deleted; to check it's IE and use the correct code check if document.body.createTextRange exist like:

$(document).ready(function () {
    selectText('sample_div');
});

function selectText(element) {
    var text = document.getElementById(element);
    if (document.body.createTextRange) {
        var range = document.body.createTextRange();
        range.moveToElementText(text);
        range.select();
    } else {
        var selection = window.getSelection();
        var range = document.createRange();
        range.selectNodeContents(text);
        selection.removeAllRanges();
        selection.addRange(range);
    } 
}

Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/IrvinDominin/bKPcX/

Answer 2

So if I assume correctly, you want the text inside a particular div to be highlighted..

function selectText(element) {
    var doc = document
        , text = doc.getElementById(element)
        , range, selection
    ;    
    if (doc.body.createTextRange) { //ms
        range = doc.body.createTextRange();
        range.moveToElementText(text);
        range.select();
    } else if (window.getSelection) { //all others
        selection = window.getSelection();        
        range = doc.createRange();
        range.selectNodeContents(text);
        selection.removeAllRanges();
        selection.addRange(range);
    }
}

Working jsFiddle

Source