A user interface (UI) for a text editing application executing on an electronic device, such as a wireless communication device, partitions a touch-sensitive display into two functional areas, a user input area and a text composition area. The UI displays text output in the text composition area and allows a user to scroll “user documents” through the input area. From an active user document displayed in the input area, users can automatically copy-and-paste text directly into a text area without having to exit the text editing application.