var isSelected = false;

function copySelection(workArea){

workArea.workText = document.selection.createRange();
isSelected = true;
}

function wrapInTags(workArea,isTag){

if (isSelected)
{
workArea.workText.text = "["+isTag+"]"+workArea.workText.text+"[/"+isTag+"]";
if (workArea.workText.text==''){isSelected=false;workArea.focus()}
}
}

function validate(workArea){

if (workArea.value == ""){alert('The text area is empty');return false}
nBrackets = workArea.value.match(/\[/g);
if (nBrackets != null && nBrackets.length >=1){return true}
alert('Format some text');
return false;
}