---
title: "select(withFrame:editor:delegate:start:length:)"
framework: appkit
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: "appkit/nscontrol/select(withframe:editor:delegate:start:length:)"
---

# select(withFrame:editor:delegate:start:length:)

Selects the specified text range in the receiver’s field editor.

## Declaration

```swift
func select(withFrame rect: NSRect, editor textObj: NSText, delegate: Any?, start selStart: Int, length selLength: Int)
```

## Parameters

- `rect`: The bounding rectangle of the control’s cell.
- `textObj`: The field editor to use.
- `delegate`: The object to use as a delegate for the field editor. This delegate object receives various doc://com.apple.appkit/documentation/AppKit/NSText delegation and notification methods during the course of editing the cell’s contents.
- `selStart`: The start of the text selection.
- `selLength`: The length of the text range.

## Discussion

Discussion This method is similar to edit(withFrame:editor:delegate:event:), except that it can be invoked in any situation, not only on a mouse-down event. This method returns without doing anything if textObj or the receiver is nil, or if the receiver has no font set for it.

## See Also

### Managing the Field Editor

- [abortEditing()](appkit/nscontrol/abortediting().md)
- [currentEditor()](appkit/nscontrol/currenteditor().md)
- [validateEditing()](appkit/nscontrol/validateediting().md)
- [edit(withFrame:editor:delegate:event:)](appkit/nscontrol/edit(withframe:editor:delegate:event:).md)
- [endEditing(_:)](appkit/nscontrol/endediting(_:).md)