(function($) {

// get selection: fine in FF and Webkit, partly working in IE6+ (selecting from right-to-left is broken), broken in Opera
// set selection: ???
$.fn.textselection = function(start, end) {
	if (start !== undefined) {
		return this.each(function() {
			if( this.createTextRange ){
				var selRange = this.createTextRange();
				if (end === undefined || start == end) {
					selRange.move("character", start);
					selRange.select();
				} else {
					selRange.collapse(true);
					selRange.moveStart("character", start);
					selRange.moveEnd("character", end);
					selRange.select();
				}
			} else if( this.setSelectionRange ){
				this.setSelectionRange(start, end);
			} else if( this.selectionStart ){
				this.selectionStart = start;
				this.selectionEnd = end;
			}
		});
	}
	var field = this[0];
	if ( field.createTextRange ) {
		var range = document.selection.createRange(),
			orig = field.value,
			teststring = "<->",
			textLength = range.text.length;
		range.text = teststring;
		var caretAt = field.value.indexOf(teststring);
		field.value = orig;
		this.textselection(caretAt, caretAt + textLength);
		return {
			start: caretAt,
			end: caretAt + textLength
		}
	} else if( field.selectionStart !== undefined ){
		return {
			start: field.selectionStart,
			end: field.selectionEnd
		}
	}
};

})(jQuery);