How to disable text selection in TextArea (JavaFX)?

Question

I want to disable the user's ability to select text in textArea of JavaFX. How can this be done?

Answer 1

This is perhaps a little counter-intuitive, but the way to do this is to use a TextFormatter. The Change passed to a text formatter includes the current caret position and anchor position (and the any changes to either result in a change being forwarded to, and possibly vetoed or modified by, the text formatter). By setting the anchor so that it is the same as the caret position, you ensure nothing is selected:

import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.TextArea;
import javafx.scene.control.TextFormatter;
import javafx.scene.layout.BorderPane;
import javafx.stage.Stage;

public class DisableTextSelection extends Application {

    @Override
    public void start(Stage primaryStage) throws Exception {
        TextArea textArea = new TextArea();
        textArea.setTextFormatter(new TextFormatter<String>(change ->  {
            change.setAnchor(change.getCaretPosition());
            return change ;
        }));

        BorderPane root = new BorderPane(textArea);
        Scene scene = new Scene(root, 400, 400);
        primaryStage.setScene(scene);
        primaryStage.show();
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Application.launch(args);
    }

}