get word under cursor?

[Timo]

Assume we have this html:

<span>the quick brown fox</span>

and the mouse is hovering over the word "fox". Using javascript, is it
possible to determine the word under the mouse *without* introducing
additional elements such as an anchor?

//undesirable:
<span>the quick brown <a id='fox'>fox</a></span>

Thanks
Timo

 

[Dietmar Meier]

<span>the quick brown fox</span>

and the mouse is hovering over the word "fox". Using javascript, is it
possible to determine the word under the mouse *without* introducing
additional elements

No. The browser doesn't know about words. In the browser's object model,
the text node "the quick brown fox" is atomic.

ciao, dhgm

 

[Martin Honnen]

Assume we have this html:

<span>the quick brown fox</span>

and the mouse is hovering over the word "fox". Using javascript, is it
possible to determine the word under the mouse *without* introducing
additional elements such as an anchor?

In IE (on Win at least) and in Mozilla browsers it is possible, see
<http://www.faqts.com/knowledge_base/view.phtml/aid/33674>
for details.