The Clipboard is a temporary storage area for data that the user wants to move from one place to another by using the copy-paste option. The clipboard, also knew as pasteboard is a special location of computer memory that temporarily store data used when someone cut or copied data from one document file to another.
The clipboard is usually unnamed and temporary, and it contents data information in the computer’s RAM. This data information can be a selected text, a photo, a file, any kind of image, or other types of data. It is placed in the clipboard when anyone uses the ‘copy’ command to any type of file, which is located in the edit menu of most programs. Data from the clipboard can be pasted into a document or any kind of program by using the ‘paste’ command, which is also located in the edit menu.
For example, an image copied from a folder and you can paste on the clipboard. Again, you can copy the image from it and may be pasted into an image processing or editing software like Photoshop. A web address or any other selected text can be copied to it from an e-mail or any other source and pasted into your web browser’s address field.
Some programs allow you to see what data is stored in the clipboard. For example, the finder in MAC OS X allows us to choose ‘show clipboard’ from the edit menu. When you copy any kind of data to it, the previously stored data is replaced by the new data. Because the data is stored in RAM, it is also deleted when the computer is shut down or restarted.
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Clipboard in Windows
Windows clipboard is a temporary storage area for the cut or copy command. When you cut or copy something it is automatically placed in this, much like in cache memories.
When you cut or copy something in windows, that goes into the clipboard. It temporarily stores this data information. Afterward, when you cut or copy something else, the new piece of information that you copy to the clipboard overwrites the previous contents. When you paste the contents of it, the contents remain available for further pasting operation. You can paste the contents of this as often as you like.
When you cut or copy something again, it will overwrite by new data information. It can hold only one item at a time, so when you cut or copy something, it replaces anything that is already in the clipboard. You can copy or paste items from one place of the same application, or even to a different application.
Three clipboard functions can be performed on this operation at all windows applications. Those are cut, copy, paste.
Cut:
When you cut something like a file or text or other things, it is removed from its current location, and temporarily placed in windows clipboard, and permanently placed where you will paste. To do the cut operation you should select the file and right-click and select the cut option from the context menu. Or the easiest way to cut something is by selecting it and pressing ctrl + x on your keyboard.
Copy:
When you want something to copy from its original location to another location, it is duplicated your current file, and initially stored on the clipboard. If you copy something, it remains in its current location. To do the copy operation you should select the file first, and right-click, and select the copy option from the context menu. But, the easiest way to copy something is by selecting it and pressing ctrl + c on your keyboard.
Paste:
When you paste something, it is copied ‘back’ from the windows clipboard to the location you have selected. If you have already something selected, and want to paste something at this destination, the contents will replace the selected staff. So, be careful when you paste something. Again, the location you are pasting should have the ability to hold whatever on it. For example, you can not paste a video file on a text editor. Because, the text editor can hold text contents, not the video file.
You can paste copied or cut the contents of the clipboard as long as you want. Pasting is a great way to make multiple copies of something. To do the paste operation you should fix a location, and right-click, and select the paste option from the context menu. The easiest way to paste something is by pressing ctrl + v on your keyboard.
Clipboard in Android
Android provides a clipboard that can hold up to one clip object and is accessible system-wide. When you select any text on android, the text is directly stored in this, complex data are stored by reference. On the Android operating system, this is also a temporary storage place. The clip objects have three formats like text string, Uri object, and intent.
To interact with the clipboard in android, an app named ClipboardManager is used. There are three functions performed on this operating system, and those are cut, copy, and paste.
The clipboard first appears in the user interface in the Android 8.0 version. When a user prepares to paste from it, a ‘clipboard’ option appears, which gives the user access to copied or paste objects to the clipboard in the past. In an earlier version of Android, the user has no access to it.
Using the clipboard on an android operating based phone is as simple as using copy and paste. To copy something on an android phone, you should first select the text. Then you should long press and choose copy. To do the paste operation, you should long-press on an empty field to select paste and insert the copied text from the clipboard. When you copy some text on your android, this service stores the information in ram. The android operating system didn’t give access to that data directly. But, by using a third-party app, you can still access your clipboard history on your android phone.
Clipboard in iOS
On iOS, it is called as pasteboard. On this operating system, apps can create additional pasteboard, called instances of the UIPasteboard class, which can be public or private. Single item or multiple items in different formats can be holed on one instance.
Major Advantages of Clipboard:
- You can select what you want to paste from the clipboard.
- It accelerates your moving work.
- Windows clipboard lets you do multiple passes.
Conclusion
The clipboard stores all kinds of storage information that you have copied from one place to another place where you like to save. It is a temporary storage system that temporarily stores this information on computer RAM. When you copied or cut something, it stored on the clipboard, and you can paste this thing as long as you want.
