jquery_textarea_last_word.js

/*
* fguillen: 2009-07-09 
* return the last word from cursor on a textarea
* example: alert( "last word from cursor: " + $('#my_textarea').lastWord() )
* fixed bug which caused runaway loop when pattern doesn't recognise the start of the textarea (bigfudge)
*/
jQuery.fn.lastWord = function() {
  var buffer = '';
  
  this.each(function(){
    if (this.selectionStart || this.selectionStart == '0') {
      var startPos = this.selectionStart;
      var endPos = this.selectionEnd;
      var scrollTop = this.scrollTop;

      var index = 0;
      var new_char = '';

      do{
        index += 1;
        buffer = new_char + buffer;
        new_char = this.value.substr(startPos - index, 1);
      } while( (new_char.search( /^(\w|\.)$/ ) != -1) & (startPos - index > -1 )  )

    } else {
      alert("lastWord not supported on this navigator");
    }
  });
  
  return buffer;
};