class Person {
    String name
}
Person person = new Person()
person.name = "Daniel"
println person.name

If I select code

class Person {
    String name
}
Person person = new Person()
person.name = "Daniel"

and ctrl + enter to execute it.

Groovy Console complains:

groovy> class Person { groovy> String name groovy> }
groovy> Person person = new Person()
groovy> person.name = "Dan

Exception thrown: org.codehaus.groovy.control.MultipleCompilationErrorsException: startup failed, Script9: 5: unexpected char: 0xFFFF @ line 5, column 19.
1 error

org.codehaus.groovy.control.MultipleCompilationErrorsException: startup failed, Script9: 5: unexpected char: 0xFFFF @ line 5, column 19.
1 error

However, I got the exact same exception if I only selected this:
<raw>
class Person {
String name
}
Person person = new Person()
person.name = "Dan
</raw>

Silly question, but are you sure the entire line was selected? If you were then I'll upgrade my JDK and try again.

I'm using jdk6u3 on winxp.

Thanks,
Daniel.Sun

This amounts to a feature that is poorly documented and in it's current form is of questionalble usability.

My recommendation is to either (a) remove it or (b) make it explicit, add a Script->run and Script->run selected option (ctrl-R and ctrl-shift-R with ctrl-enter and ctrl-shift-enter as well, respectively).

Assigning to Dierk since he was the initiator of the changed code for his opinion.

I don't agree with the view that it is 'poorly documented'. There isn't much to document and what needs to be said is available in http://groovy.codehaus.org/Groovy+Console and in Groovy in Action.
I understand that it may be surprising for those that haven't read the documentation, though.

Currently, I don't see any issue with this feature but I would be happy about any suggestion for improvement.

How about my (b) option? Split this into a run and run selection option? Unless you object Dierk I will go ahead and implement that to address the usability issues, it fits in with some of the other usability quirks that have been changed.