Javascript - How can I copy a text to clipboard without displaying a textarea?

Question

I'm trying to copy to the user's clipboard a path to the log files in Javascript. However, I do not wish to use an input field or textarea. Other solutions indicate that I should use an input field, select the text from the field, then copy it. Is there any workaround to have a code-defined string directly copied to my clipboard? Thanks.

I use plain JS and Node.js
I am trying to copy a text defined in my code (local path to log files) to the user's clipboard without using any user input fields (textarea, input tags). The other questions seem to either use user fields or 3rd party APIs. I do not want that! I am looking for some JS code that will accomplish all this.

@DavinTryon Ah, yes! I forgot to mention that I am building a web application, however, produced in a batch file. I am testing and running in web, but the production will ultimately be in a batch file. — gatsbyz, Jun 30 '17 at 15:28
Possible duplicate of [How do I copy to the clipboard in JavaScript?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/400212/how-do-i-copy-to-the-clipboard-in-javascript) — evolutionxbox, Jun 30 '17 at 15:29
@evolutionxbox I did read this post. But I am looking for a way thhat I can avoid showing the user a textarea. Instead, give an alert that text has been copied to clipboard. — gatsbyz, Jun 30 '17 at 15:31
@DavinTryon I'm using ExtJS and Node.js. I do not mind in which stack it is being copied in! So, Node works! — gatsbyz, Jun 30 '17 at 15:31
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7778539/copy-to-clipboard-in-node-js — Davin Tryon, Jun 30 '17 at 15:32
@SWKING are you sure? Later on in the answer is _"Complex Example: Copy to clipboard without displaying input"_ which states _"In some cases you might wish to copy text to the clipboard without displaying an input / textarea element"_ — evolutionxbox, Jun 30 '17 at 15:32
@evolutionxbox Yes, I do not want to utilize to textbox at all! — gatsbyz, Jun 30 '17 at 16:41
@SWKING I thought you were giving something like * Conditions apply. That's why the ``\`` — Praveen Kumar Purushothaman, Jun 30 '17 at 17:05
@PraveenKumar Haha. No problem :) I actually liked your edit better. — gatsbyz, Jun 30 '17 at 19:09

score 7 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 30 '17 at 20:15

7

As you have already read from other post, you need the textarea or textbox to copy to clipboard, because of browser security, If you don't want to show the textbox or textarea, just hide it, you can use

.hide {
  position:absolute;
  left:-9999px
}

left: value should be greater either positive or negative, i.e it does not fall into any current screen visible width.

edited Jun 30 '17 at 20:15

Praveen Kumar Purushothaman

164,888
24
203
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answered Jun 30 '17 at 15:36

dilli.shrestha

163
11

Javascript - How can I copy a text to clipboard without displaying a textarea?

1 Answers1