Convert selectedTextRange UITextRange to NSRange

Question

How can I convert a UITextRange object to an NSRange? I've seen plenty of SO posts about going the other direction but that's the opposite of what I need. I'm using the UITextRange selectedTextRange which is a property of a UITextView. It returns a UITextRange but I need a range.

score 58 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 15 '14 at 22:52

You need something like this:

- (NSRange) selectedRangeInTextView:(UITextView*)textView
{
    UITextPosition* beginning = textView.beginningOfDocument;

    UITextRange* selectedRange = textView.selectedTextRange;
    UITextPosition* selectionStart = selectedRange.start;
    UITextPosition* selectionEnd = selectedRange.end;

    const NSInteger location = [textView offsetFromPosition:beginning toPosition:selectionStart];
    const NSInteger length = [textView offsetFromPosition:selectionStart toPosition:selectionEnd];

    return NSMakeRange(location, length);
}

score 24 · Answer 2 · edited Dec 10 '18 at 19:13

Here's a Swift extension based on the answer by Vitaly S.

extension UITextInput {
    var selectedRange: NSRange? {
        guard let range = self.selectedTextRange else { return nil }
        let location = offsetFromPosition(beginningOfDocument, toPosition: range.start)
        let length = offsetFromPosition(range.start, toPosition: range.end)
        return NSRange(location: location, length: length)
    }
}

Swift 4

extension UITextInput {
    var selectedRange: NSRange? {
        guard let range = selectedTextRange else { return nil }
        let location = offset(from: beginningOfDocument, to: range.start)
        let length = offset(from: range.start, to: range.end)
        return NSRange(location: location, length: length)
    }
}

score 7 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 17 '14 at 12:07

7

UITextView has a property

@property(nonatomic) NSRange selectedRange;

answered Jun 17 '14 at 12:07

yasirmturk

1,924
2
22
32

8

This doesn't answer the OP's question. There are valid reasons why you need to convert from `UITextRange` to `NSRange`. – Stunner Mar 01 '15 at 04:01
Also, it doesn't exist in swift – Daniel Feb 09 '16 at 13:35
Also, UITextField only has `selectedTextRange`, so you need convert to a simple `NSRange` – Leslie Godwin Aug 24 '20 at 06:44

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Aug 24 '20 at 06:44

0

Swift 5

extension UITextInput
{
    var selectedRange: NSRange?
    {
        if let selectedRange = self.selectedTextRange
        {
           return NSMakeRange(self.offset(from: self.beginningOfDocument, to: selectedRange.start),
                              self.offset(from: selectedRange.start,      to: selectedRange.end))
        }
        else
        {
            return nil
        }
    }
}

answered Aug 24 '20 at 06:44

Leslie Godwin

2,601
26
18

Your code will be cleaner if you begin with `guard let.. else { return nil }` instead of the way you've written it. – kwiknik Mar 10 '23 at 16:58

Convert selectedTextRange UITextRange to NSRange

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