![]() "DataObject", "Object Descriptor", " Rich Text Format", " TEXT", " UNICODETEXT", " METAFILEPICT", "Embed Source", "Native", "OwnerLink", "Link Source", "Link Source Descriptor", "ObjectLink", " Hyperlink", " OLE Private Data", " LOCALE", " OEMTEXT", and " ENHMETAFILE" For example, when you copy text in Word 97, it's stored in each of the following clipboard formats: When some program wants to retrieve something from the clipboard, it can ask the operating system what formats are currently available, and then request the data for a particular format.Ī program can put several different kinds of data in there at the same time if it wants to. Several of these are defined by the operating system, but a program can define its own and "register" them with the operating system. It could be plain text, or an image, or formatted text, or just about anything. When a program puts something in the clipboard, it provides two things: The data itself, and a "name" identifying what kind of data it is: Each kind of data is called a " clipboard format". The system clipboard makes that possible. If you copy something in Notepad, it's nice to be able to paste it into Word, Netscape, or whatever. ![]() The problem is that other programs won't be able to access what's there. It can set aside its own little "place" and do the same thing with that. As for "usually", a program is not required to use the system clipboard. Simply put, it's a "place" where any program can put data, and where it or any other program can access that data. In Windows, the "clipboard" is a facility provided by the operating system (let's not quibble about how loosely I'm using that term here :) 1. When you "copy" something in MS Windows, it usually goes in something called the "clipboard". Writeups about other clipboard implementations in MacOS or whatever would be even more welcome: That's why I didn't specify an OS in the node title. A hard technical writeup would (hint, hint) be a nice addition to this node. A brief warning to Win32 API people: This is intended for a non-technical audience.
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