How to disable text selection using jQuery?

Question

In jQuery 1.8, this can be done as follows:

(function($){
    $.fn.disableSelection = function() {
        return this
                 .attr('unselectable', 'on')
                 .css('user-select', 'none')
                 .on('selectstart', false);
    };
})(jQuery);

If you use jQuery UI, there is a method for that, but it can only handle mouse selection (i.e. CTRL+A is still working):

$('.your-element').disableSelection(); // deprecated in jQuery UI 1.9

The code is realy simple, if you don't want to use jQuery UI :

$(el).attr('unselectable','on')
     .css({'-moz-user-select':'-moz-none',
           '-moz-user-select':'none',
           '-o-user-select':'none',
           '-khtml-user-select':'none', /* you could also put this in a class */
           '-webkit-user-select':'none',/* and add the CSS class here instead */
           '-ms-user-select':'none',
           'user-select':'none'
     }).bind('selectstart', function(){ return false; });

I found this answer ( Prevent Highlight of Text Table ) most helpful, and perhaps it can be combined with another way of providing IE compatibility.

#yourTable
{
  -moz-user-select: none;
  -khtml-user-select: none;
  -webkit-user-select: none;
  user-select: none;
}

Here's a more comprehensive solution to the disconnect selection, and the cancellation of some of the hot keys (such as Ctrl+a and Ctrl+c. Test: Cmd+a and Cmd+c)

(function($){

  $.fn.ctrlCmd = function(key) {

    var allowDefault = true;

    if (!$.isArray(key)) {
       key = [key];
    }

    return this.keydown(function(e) {
        for (var i = 0, l = key.length; i < l; i++) {
            if(e.keyCode === key[i].toUpperCase().charCodeAt(0) && e.metaKey) {
                allowDefault = false;
            }
        };
        return allowDefault;
    });
};


$.fn.disableSelection = function() {

    this.ctrlCmd(['a', 'c']);

    return this.attr('unselectable', 'on')
               .css({'-moz-user-select':'-moz-none',
                     '-moz-user-select':'none',
                     '-o-user-select':'none',
                     '-khtml-user-select':'none',
                     '-webkit-user-select':'none',
                     '-ms-user-select':'none',
                     'user-select':'none'})
               .bind('selectstart', false);
};

})(jQuery);

and call example:

$(':not(input,select,textarea)').disableSelection();

jsfiddle.net/JBxnQ/

This could be also not enough for old versions of FireFox (I can't tell which). If all this does not work, add the following:

.on('mousedown', false)