Abstract: A text string extraction system for a computer system having a display, an operating system having an application program interface with text output portion, a cursor for moving on the display, and application programs to be executed on the operating system for outputting text strings onto operating system via the text output portion to display the text strings on the display, the extraction system includes drawing portion for drawing a symbol on a location pointed to by the cursor and having the operating system output a signal to the application program and having the application program output a text string to be re-displayed and input portion for extracting a text string beside the location pointed to by the cursor by receiving the text string to be re-displayed output from the application program thereby supplying the input text string to the operating system via the text output portion for re-displaying.