Document.queryCommandState()

Deprecated

This feature is no longer recommended. Though some browsers might still support it, it may have already been removed from the relevant web standards, may be in the process of being dropped, or may only be kept for compatibility purposes. Avoid using it, and update existing code if possible; see the compatibility table at the bottom of this page to guide your decision. Be aware that this feature may cease to work at any time.

The queryCommandState() method will tell you if the current selection has a certain Document.execCommand() command applied.

Syntax

queryCommandState(String command)

Parameters

command is a command from Document.execCommand()

Return value

queryCommandState() can return a Boolean value or null if the state is unknown.

Example

HTML

<div contenteditable="true">Select a part of this text!</div>
<button onclick="makeBold();">Test the state of the 'bold' command</button>

JavaScript

function makeBold() {
  var state = document.queryCommandState("bold");
  switch (state) {
    case true:
      alert("The bold formatting will be removed from the selected text.");
      break;
    case false:
      alert("The selected text will be displayed in bold.");
      break;
    case null:
      alert("The state of the 'bold' command is indeterminable.");
      break;
  }
  document.execCommand('bold');
}

Result

Specifications

Specification Status Comment
execCommand

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser

See also