How to copy text from any app into clipboard

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This is what I'm trying to do,

When user select any text of any running application by left mouse button and CRTL key, the selected text should be copied into Clipboard.

So far I have implemented the logic using Global Keystroke to trigger CRT+ C keyboard key combination to copy the selected word into clipboard. This code works properly for Google Chrome but I'm facing with a problem with notepad.

What I have tried:

C#

private static void OnMouseLeftButtonUp(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
    {
        if ((ModifierKeys & Keys.Control) == Keys.Control)
        {
            Thread.Sleep(1500);
            IntPtr hWnd = GetWindowUnderCursor();
            SetForegroundWindow(hWnd);
            Thread.Sleep(500);

            //Ctrl + C
            new InputSimulator().Keyboard. 
                .ModifiedKeyStroke(VirtualKeyCode.CONTROL, VirtualKeyCode.VK_C);

            Thread.Sleep(500);
            MessageBox.Show(Clipboard.GetText());
        }
    }

What's going on here?

Posted 1-Aug-19 10:29am

Ayub Kokabi

Updated 6-Aug-19 1:32am

v5

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Comments

Dave Kreskowiak 1-Aug-19 18:19pm

Ummm.... I see a major design flaw. When the MouseButtonUp event fires, you call SendCTRL_C, in which the FIRST THING it does is get the window under the mouse cursor, which is going to be YOUR APP, not the sending app.

Ayub Kokabi 2-Aug-19 3:10am

I've improved code. please note, my application is minimized when started. Before sending Ctrl + C I get handle of windows which cursor is on it. (GetWinowUnderCursor()). this windows may be notepad or chrome or edge, etc. Then setforgroundwindow() set focus on previous hWnd (handle of window).

Dave Kreskowiak 2-Aug-19 9:12am

Assuming the user is releasing the mouse button while it's on your window, what is the first thing that's going to happen?

AGAIN, you get the window under the mouse cursor, which will be YOUR WINDOW!!

THINK!

Ayub Kokabi 2-Aug-19 9:37am

I intentionally make the code simpler. I'll handle another problems later. I want you to focus on the main problem.

Follow these steps:
1- Run the app,
2- Make it minimize,
3- Open Google Chrome,
4- Hold Ctrl key,
5- Drag some text in a web page,
6- Now, release drag (LeftMouseButtonUp),
Result: It shows a MessageBox contains your selected text properly.
Again, run these steps in notepad, But now It doesn't show correct selected text.

This is my main problem.
please focus on it.

Dave Kreskowiak 2-Aug-19 10:45am

OK, now I see what's going on. You're using the wrong terms. "Dragging" normally refers to moving an object. In the case of "drag and drop", you would be dragging a SELECTED object over another window and dropping it on that window.

You should be replacing the word "dragging" with "selecting".

So, that's where the confusion is.

So you want to tell the target window to copy the selected text to the clipboard.

Ayub Kokabi 2-Aug-19 11:40am

Oh Dave, you are absolutely right. My English is not very good. Excuse me.
I think I found the problem. Before getting handle of the window I should have some delay. I've update code, But the new question is: How many second for delaying. For me it only works if I have 1500 ms not less. How about for end users? This make me worry. Do you have another solutions?

Dave Kreskowiak 2-Aug-19 19:47pm

What you're doing is getting the handle of the window that the mouse is over and then sending your messages to it. That window may NOT be the window you actually have to send the keystrokes to to get them processed. You may have to climb the window tree to get a window that will know what to do with the messages you're sending.

I don't have any examples of that.

Ayub Kokabi 3-Aug-19 1:00am

Qtranslate is an example. Download and test.
https://quest-app.appspot.com/

Richard MacCutchan 3-Aug-19 3:36am

Why not just let the system do it? Almost every application allows you to select text and copy it to the clipboard with a couple of mouse clicks. Your application is just getting in the way.

Ayub Kokabi 3-Aug-19 4:03am

Simplicity.
Good developer bears pain for the comfort of the users.

Richard MacCutchan 3-Aug-19 4:13am

How can that be simpler than what is already provided (and works seamlessly) by the operating system?

Ayub Kokabi 3-Aug-19 4:39am

Which one is simpler?
1. Hold Ctrl and select text -> See the result
2. Copy text, Open app, Past text to the textbox -> see the result.

Richard MacCutchan 3-Aug-19 4:44am

Neither. All I need to do is right click the mouse, drag it over the text, and press Ctrl+C or click "Copy". Can you copy text from a PDF viewer, part of an image, content of an Excel spreadsheet or Word document without losing the formatting?

And despite that comment you have still not shown your code that does the actual copying.

Ayub Kokabi 3-Aug-19 6:25am

Almost all dictionaries like babylon and Qtranslate use this technique to copy text. I don't need formatting. I realized that in my scenario this technique will result better feedback.

Dave Kreskowiak 3-Aug-19 10:20am

Select text with mouse and hit Ctrl-C. Done.

It can be done with one hand, instead of two.

Ayub Kokabi 3-Aug-19 14:52pm

What about double pressing shift? It can be done with one finger :)

Dave Kreskowiak 3-Aug-19 16:40pm

In your operation, you seems to have to hold CTRL while selecting with the mouse. Two hands required.

Ayub Kokabi 4-Aug-19 1:06am

If I change shortcut to double pressing shift, your problem resolved? :)

BillWoodruff 1-Aug-19 20:19pm

show the code for kybd_event()

Ayub Kokabi 2-Aug-19 3:11am

I've improved my code. I've used this library for sendinput:
https://archive.codeplex.com/?p=inputsimulator

BillWoodruff 2-Aug-19 5:52am

and, are you able to do what you want to do now ?

Ayub Kokabi 2-Aug-19 6:19am

No! not yet.

Richard MacCutchan 2-Aug-19 12:53pm

The most important piece of your code is still missing: how are you selecting the text and copying it to the clipboard?

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