diff --git a/include/nana/gui/widgets/skeletons/text_editor.hpp b/include/nana/gui/widgets/skeletons/text_editor.hpp
index ea021411..f5408008 100644
--- a/include/nana/gui/widgets/skeletons/text_editor.hpp
+++ b/include/nana/gui/widgets/skeletons/text_editor.hpp
@@ -151,6 +151,8 @@ namespace nana{	namespace widgets
 
 			bool selected() const;
 			bool select(bool);
+			bool get_select_points(nana::upoint&, nana::upoint&) const;
+
 			/// Sets the end position of a selected string.
 			void set_end_caret();
 			
@@ -233,7 +235,6 @@ namespace nana{	namespace widgets
 			//@brief: redraw whole line specified by caret pos. 
 			//@return: true if caret overs the border
 			bool _m_update_caret_line(std::size_t secondary_before);
-			bool _m_get_sort_select_points(nana::upoint&, nana::upoint&) const;
 
 			void _m_offset_y(int y);
 
diff --git a/include/nana/gui/widgets/textbox.hpp b/include/nana/gui/widgets/textbox.hpp
index 14b5a9d8..b757260d 100644
--- a/include/nana/gui/widgets/textbox.hpp
+++ b/include/nana/gui/widgets/textbox.hpp
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ namespace nana
 		bool editable() const;
 		textbox& editable(bool);
 
-		/// Enables the caret if the textbox current is not editable
+		/// Enables the caret if the textbox currently is not editable
 		textbox& enable_caret();
 
 		void set_accept(std::function<bool(wchar_t)>);
@@ -200,6 +200,12 @@ namespace nana
         /// Selects/unselects all text.
 		void select(bool);
 
+		/// Returns the bounds of a text selection
+		/**
+		 * @return no selection if pair.first == pair.second.
+		 */
+		std::pair<upoint, upoint> selection() const;
+
 		void copy() const;  ///< Copies the selected text into shared memory, such as clipboard under Windows.
 		void paste();       ///< Pastes the text from shared memory.
 		void del();
diff --git a/source/gui/widgets/skeletons/text_editor.cpp b/source/gui/widgets/skeletons/text_editor.cpp
index a662aadf..42d98873 100644
--- a/source/gui/widgets/skeletons/text_editor.cpp
+++ b/source/gui/widgets/skeletons/text_editor.cpp
@@ -2081,6 +2081,25 @@ namespace nana{	namespace widgets
 			return false;
 		}
 
+		bool text_editor::get_select_points(nana::upoint& a, nana::upoint& b) const
+		{
+			if (select_.a == select_.b)
+				return false;
+
+			if (select_.a < select_.b)
+			{
+				a = select_.a;
+				b = select_.b;
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				a = select_.b;
+				b = select_.a;
+			}
+
+			return true;
+		}
+
 		bool text_editor::hit_text_area(const point& pos) const
 		{
 			return _m_text_area().is_hit(pos);
@@ -2089,7 +2108,7 @@ namespace nana{	namespace widgets
 		bool text_editor::hit_select_area(nana::upoint pos, bool ignore_when_select_all) const
 		{
 			nana::upoint a, b;
-			if(_m_get_sort_select_points(a, b))
+			if(get_select_points(a, b))
 			{
 				if (ignore_when_select_all)
 				{
@@ -3006,7 +3025,7 @@ namespace nana{	namespace widgets
 		nana::upoint text_editor::_m_erase_select()
 		{
 			nana::upoint a, b;
-			if (_m_get_sort_select_points(a, b))
+			if (get_select_points(a, b))
 			{
 				auto & textbase = this->textbase();
 				if(a.y != b.y)
@@ -3037,7 +3056,7 @@ namespace nana{	namespace widgets
 			std::wstring text;
 			
 			nana::upoint a, b;
-			if (_m_get_sort_select_points(a, b))
+			if (get_select_points(a, b))
 			{
 				auto & textbase = this->textbase();
 				if (a.y != b.y)
@@ -3128,7 +3147,7 @@ namespace nana{	namespace widgets
 		bool text_editor::_m_cancel_select(int align)
 		{
 			nana::upoint a, b;
-			if(_m_get_sort_select_points(a, b))
+			if (get_select_points(a, b))
 			{
 				switch(align)
 				{
@@ -3223,7 +3242,7 @@ namespace nana{	namespace widgets
 				const bool at_left = (select_.b < select_.a);
 
 				nana::upoint a, b;
-				_m_get_sort_select_points(a, b);
+				get_select_points(a, b);
 				if (caret.y < a.y || (caret.y == a.y && caret.x < a.x))
 				{//forward
 					undo_ptr->set_caret_pos();
@@ -3419,7 +3438,7 @@ namespace nana{	namespace widgets
 			const wchar_t *sbegin = nullptr, *send = nullptr;
 
 			nana::upoint a, b;
-			if (_m_get_sort_select_points(a, b))
+			if (get_select_points(a, b))
 			{
 				if (a.y < text_coord.y && text_coord.y < b.y)
 				{
@@ -3576,25 +3595,6 @@ namespace nana{	namespace widgets
 			return true;
 		}
 
-		bool text_editor::_m_get_sort_select_points(nana::upoint& a, nana::upoint& b) const
-		{
-			if (select_.a == select_.b)
-				return false;
-
-			if (select_.a < select_.b)
-			{
-				a = select_.a;
-				b = select_.b;
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				a = select_.b;
-				b = select_.a;
-			}
-
-			return true;
-		}
-
 		void text_editor::_m_offset_y(int y)
 		{
 			points_.offset.y = y;
diff --git a/source/gui/widgets/textbox.cpp b/source/gui/widgets/textbox.cpp
index a2c07ef4..3e20f7ec 100644
--- a/source/gui/widgets/textbox.cpp
+++ b/source/gui/widgets/textbox.cpp
@@ -469,6 +469,18 @@ namespace drawerbase {
 				API::update_window(*this);
 		}
 
+		std::pair<upoint, upoint> textbox::selection() const
+		{
+			std::pair<upoint, upoint> points;
+
+			internal_scope_guard lock;
+			auto editor = get_drawer_trigger().editor();
+			if (editor)
+				editor->get_select_points(points.first, points.second);
+
+			return points;
+		}
+
 		void textbox::copy() const
 		{
 			internal_scope_guard lock;