clipboard

Example Python program clipboard.py This program creates a PyQt GUI

Modules

• import platform, os
• import ctypes
• import gtk
• import PyQt4.QtCore
• import PyQt4.QtGui

Methods

• def winGetClipboard():
• def winSetClipboard(text):
• def macSetClipboard(text):
• def macGetClipboard():
• def gtkGetClipboard():
• def gtkSetClipboard(text):
• def qtGetClipboard():
• def qtSetClipboard(text):
• def xclipSetClipboard(text):
• def xclipGetClipboard():
• def xselSetClipboard(text):
• def xselGetClipboard():

Code

Example Python PyQt program :

#The following is a python module made by Albert Sweigart.

import platform, os

def winGetClipboard():
    ctypes.windll.user32.OpenClipboard(0)
    pcontents = ctypes.windll.user32.GetClipboardData(1) # 1 is CF_TEXT
    data = ctypes.c_char_p(pcontents).value
    #ctypes.windll.kernel32.GlobalUnlock(pcontents)
    ctypes.windll.user32.CloseClipboard()
    return data

def winSetClipboard(text):
    GMEM_DDESHARE = 0x2000
    ctypes.windll.user32.OpenClipboard(0)
    ctypes.windll.user32.EmptyClipboard()
    try:
        # works on Python 2 (bytes() only takes one argument)
        hCd = ctypes.windll.kernel32.GlobalAlloc(GMEM_DDESHARE, len(bytes(text))+1)
    except TypeError:
        # works on Python 3 (bytes() requires an encoding)
        hCd = ctypes.windll.kernel32.GlobalAlloc(GMEM_DDESHARE, len(bytes(text, 'ascii'))+1)
    pchData = ctypes.windll.kernel32.GlobalLock(hCd)
    try:
        # works on Python 2 (bytes() only takes one argument)
        ctypes.cdll.msvcrt.strcpy(ctypes.c_char_p(pchData), bytes(text))
    except TypeError:
        # works on Python 3 (bytes() requires an encoding)
        ctypes.cdll.msvcrt.strcpy(ctypes.c_char_p(pchData), bytes(text, 'ascii'))
    ctypes.windll.kernel32.GlobalUnlock(hCd)
    ctypes.windll.user32.SetClipboardData(1,hCd)
    ctypes.windll.user32.CloseClipboard()

def macSetClipboard(text):
    outf = os.popen('pbcopy', 'w')
    outf.write(text)
    outf.close()

def macGetClipboard():
    outf = os.popen('pbpaste', 'r')
    content = outf.read()
    outf.close()
    return content

def gtkGetClipboard():
    return gtk.Clipboard().wait_for_text()

def gtkSetClipboard(text):
    cb = gtk.Clipboard()
    cb.set_text(text)
    cb.store()

def qtGetClipboard():
    return str(cb.text())

def qtSetClipboard(text):
    cb.setText(text)

def xclipSetClipboard(text):
    outf = os.popen('xclip -selection c', 'w')
    outf.write(text)
    outf.close()

def xclipGetClipboard():
    outf = os.popen('xclip -selection c -o', 'r')
    content = outf.read()
    outf.close()
    return content

def xselSetClipboard(text):
    outf = os.popen('xsel -i', 'w')
    outf.write(text)
    outf.close()

def xselGetClipboard():
    outf = os.popen('xsel -o', 'r')
    content = outf.read()
    outf.close()
    return content


if os.name == 'nt' or platform.system() == 'Windows':
    import ctypes
    getcb = winGetClipboard
    setcb = winSetClipboard
elif os.name == 'mac' or platform.system() == 'Darwin':
    getcb = macGetClipboard
    setcb = macSetClipboard
elif os.name == 'posix' or platform.system() == 'Linux':
    xclipExists = os.system('which xclip') == 0
    if xclipExists:
        getcb = xclipGetClipboard
        setcb = xclipSetClipboard
    else:
        xselExists = os.system('which xsel') == 0
        if xselExists:
            getcb = xselGetClipboard
            setcb = xselSetClipboard
        try: 
            import gtk
            getcb = gtkGetClipboard
            setcb = gtkSetClipboard
        except:
            try:
                import PyQt4.QtCore
                import PyQt4.QtGui
                app = QApplication([])
                cb = PyQt4.QtGui.QApplication.clipboard()
                getcb = qtGetClipboard
                setcb = qtSetClipboard
            except:
                raise Exception('Pyperclip requires the gtk or PyQt4 module installed, or the xclip command.')
copy = setcb
paste = getcb

Useful Links

• Articles: https://python-commandments.org/
• PyQt: https://pythonpyqt.com/
• Tutorial: https://pythonprogramminglanguage.com/