by M.L. Giggleman
The Clipboard is a temporary storage area Windows uses to hold information to be transferred between applications. Information is selected and placed in the Clipboard from a Windows or non-Windows application.
This information can then be transferred to other applications or saved to a disk file.
Use the Clipboard to copy text between documents without re-keying the information. An address from Cardfile could be placed in a word processor or an email. A lengthy URL (internet address) could be copied from a text file into Netscape’s Open Location box. Reorganize a document by moving selected portions to the Clipboard and pasting elsewhere in the document.
Graphics may be placed in the Clipboard and pasted into most applications, such as a word processor or a drawing program such as Windows Paintbrush, where graphics may be added, if needed. Windows screens may also be copied to the Clipboard, from a “snapshop” of an entire Desktop to a single active window. This is how the screenshots were created for some of my articles and tutorials.
Information remains in the Clipboard until cleared, overwritten by another selection, or Windows is exited. Since the information remains in the Clipboard, it may be pasted numerous times.
Clipboard holds only one “thing” at a time, whether a line of blocked text or a snapshot of the Windows Desktop. The next time the Clipboard receives new information, whether from pressing Print Screen or from an Edit, Copy command, the previous contents are destroyed, overwritten by the new information. Contents of the Clipboard may be written to a disk file for later use.
SELECTING INFORMATION...
...IN A WINDOWS APP
Information is selected by highlighting a block of text or a graphic. To highlight, move the cursor to the point where the highlighting should begin. Hold down the left mouse button and then drag the cursor (by moving the mouse) to the point where the highlighting should end. Release the mouse button.
The area should be highlighted, or “blocked”, to indicate it has been selected. This is usually shown by a change in the appearance, such as color for text or a border for an object. If the highlighted area is not correct, cancel by clicking any place in the document. Once the information has been selected, it may then be placed in the Clipboard.
...IN A NON-WINDOWS APP (DOS Box)
There are two ways to select information in a DOS box, with a mouse or with the keyboard.
...WITH A MOUSE
The non-Windows application must be running in a window, not full screen. Press Alt+Enter to toggle to a window if running full screen. In the window, click on the Control menu box (the box with the minus sign in the upper left corner of the window) to open the Control menu. Choose Edit, Mark. Using the mouse as above, highlight the information. Press the right mouse button to copy the highlighted information to the Clipboard.
...WITH THE KEYBOARD
As above, the non-Windows application must be running in a window, not full screen. Press Alt+Enter to toggle to a window if running full screen. In the window, press Alt+Spacebar to open the Control menu. Choose Edit, Mark. A flashing cursor should appear in the upper-left corner of the window. Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the first character to select. Use Shift+Arrow keys to move the cursor and highlight the remainder of the information. Press Enter to copy the highlighted information to the Clipboard.
CUTTING OR COPYING INFORMATION TO CLIPBOARD...
...IN WINDOWS APPS
Once information has been selected, it needs to be placed in the Clipboard. There are two commands to accomplish this: Cut and Copy. Both have the same result, i.e., placing selected information in the Clipboard. The difference is in how the originating document, where you marked the text or graphic to place in the Clipboard, is treated.
Cut is destructive; that is, it removes the selected information from the originating document. This would be useful in reorganizing a file by “cutting” information from one location and “pasting” it in another or in removing selected portions to another file. Cut is located in the Edit menu; the keyboard shortcut for Cut is Ctrl+X.
Copy preserves the originating document, placing the selected information in the Clipboard and leaving it in the originating document. Copy is located in the Edit menu; the keyboard shortcut for Copy is Ctrl+C.
...IN NON-WINDOWS APPS
(386 Enh Mode)
Information may be selected and copied from a non-Windows application when Windows is in the 386 enhanced mode. The non-Windows application must be running in a window, not full screen. Press Alt+Enter to toggle to a window if the application is running full screen. With the application running in the active window, click on the Control menu box (the box with the minus sign in the upper left corner of the window). Choose Edit from the menu, then select Mark. Move the mouse into the window and select the desired text. When finished, click on the Control-menu box again. Choose Edit, Copy. The selected lines are then copied to the Clipboard.
MAKING A COPY OF THE ENTIRE SCREEN...
...IN WINDOWS APPS
Press Print Screen to place a “snapshot” of the entire desktop in the Clipboard. If this doesn’t work, try Alt+Print Screen or Shift+Print Screen, as some keyboards do not recognize the Print Screen key alone.
...IN NON-WINDOWS APPS (Stan Mode or 386 Enh Mode)
Press Print Screen to copy the contents of the screen to the Clipboard. This works whether running Windows in the 386 enhanced mode or in standard mode. However, in the standard mode, graphics cannot be copied to the clipboard. Depending on the screen contents, the saved format will be either bitmap or text. To check, use the Clipboard Viewer.
MAKING A COPY OF A SINGLE WINDOW...
...IN WINDOWS APPLICATIONS
To copy the current active window to the Clipboard, press Alt+Print Screen. A “snapshot” of the active window is placed onto the Clipboard.
If this doesn’t work, try Shift+Print Screen as some keyboards (unenhanced) do not recognize Alt+Print Screen.
...IN NON-WINDOWS APPLICATIONS (386 Enhanced Mode)
To copy a single window, Windows must be running in the 386 enhanced mode. The application must be running in a window and that window must be the active window. Press Alt+Print Screen to save the window in Clipboard in bitmap format.
PASTING INFORMATION FROM THE CLIPBOARD...
...TO WINDOWS APPS
If needed, use Clipboard Viewer to verify the contents of the Clipboard. Start the receiving aplication and position the cursor where the contents of the Clipboard should begin. Choose Paste from the application’s Edit menu or use the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl+V.
...TO NON-WINDOWS APPS
Pasting information from the Clipboard to a non-Windows application varies by the application. Some will accept formatted graphics and text, while others only accept unformatted text.
...IN A WINDOW (386 Enh Mode)
Verify the desired information is in the Clipboard using Clipboard Viewer. Open the receiving application. Position the cursor where the contents of the Clipboard should begin. From the application’s Control menu, choose Edit. From the Edit menu, select Paste.
...FULL SCREEN (Stand or 386 Enh Mode)
Verify the desired information is in the Clipboard using Clipboard Viewer. Open the receiving application. Position the cursor where the contents of the Clipboard should begin. Open the application’s Control menu by pressing Alt+Spacebar.
If Windows is running in the standard mode, select Paste from the Control Menu.
If Windows is running in the 386 enhanced mode, first select Edit from the Control menu, then select Paste.
USING THE CLIPBOARD VIEWER
The Clipboard Viewer is used to view, save, retrieve and delete the contents of the Clipboard. By default it is located in Program Manager, Main group.
VIEWING CONTENTS OF THE CLIPBOARD
Switch to Program Manager, open the Main group and select the Clipboard Viewer icon.
The Clipboard accepts a number of text and graphics formats. When you transfer information from one application to another, the originating application places the information in the Clipboard in a format Clipboard recognizes. The receiving application then selects the most compatible format.
VIEWING IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT
The Clipboard stores information in several formats to allow different applications to use that information. To see a list of formats available for the current information in the Clipboard, select View from the Display menu. Select one to view the information in that format.
RETURNING TO THE FIRST FORMAT DISPLAYED
From the Display menu, choose Auto.
SAVING CONTENTS OF THE CLIPBOARD TO A FILE
The contents of the Clipboard may be saved in a file which can be opened and pasted into applications. These files may be viewed using the Clipboard Viewer. To save a copy of the contents of the Clipboard, open the Clipboard Viewer and select Save As from the File menu. The Save As dialog box appears. Type a filename for the contents of the Clipboard. A path may also be specified; i.e., c:\myfiles\figure1.clp. The default extension for a Clipboard file is .CLP. Click on OK. Note: You can save a Clipboard file with any extension, but only files with a .CLP extension can be opened in the Clipboard Viewer.
RETRIEVING A CLIPBOARD FILE
Select Open from the Clipboard Viewer File menu. The Open dialog box appears. You may then type in a filename or use the arrow keys to select a file to retrieve (must have the extension CLP). Click OK. Note: If the Clipboard contains information and you open a clipboard file, you will be prompted to clear the current contents of the Clipboard. If you choose OK, the current contents of the Clipboard are replaced by the contents of the selected file. If needed, save the current Clipboard contents before retrieving a Clipboard file.
CLEARING CONTENTS OF THE CLIPBOARD
If the current contents of the Clipboard are needed, first save to a file. Then select Delete from the Clipboard Viewer File menu or press the Del key. Click OK.
Note: Clearing the Clipboard is a good way to free system resources, especially when working with graphics.
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