Writing a string to NSPasteBoard

Question

I cannot get this method to return YES:

- (BOOL) writeToPasteBoard:(NSString *)stringToWrite
{
    return [pasteBoard setString:stringToWrite forType:NSStringPboardType];
}

I have verified that stringToWrite is coming through properly, the method just always returns NO.

Any ideas?

Here is the rest of the class:

@interface ClipBoard : NSObject {
    NSPasteboard *pasteBoard;
}

- (BOOL) writeToPasteBoard:(NSString *)stringToWrite;
- (NSString *) readFromPasteBoard;
@end

@implementation ClipBoard
- (id) init
{
    [super init];
    pasteBoard = [NSPasteboard generalPasteboard];
    return self;
}

- (BOOL) writeToPasteBoard:(NSString *)stringToWrite
{
    return [pasteBoard setString:stringToWrite forType:NSStringPboardType];
}

- (NSString *) readFromPasteBoard
{
    return [pasteBoard stringForType:NSStringPboardType];
}

@end

joshwbrick · Accepted Answer · 2009-03-01T01:58:45.297

38

Here is the working version of the method:

- (BOOL) writeToPasteBoard:(NSString *)stringToWrite
{
    [pasteBoard declareTypes:[NSArray arrayWithObject:NSStringPboardType] owner:nil];
    return [pasteBoard setString:stringToWrite forType:NSStringPboardType];
}

edited Mar 01 '09 at 01:58

answered Feb 28 '09 at 20:26

joshwbrick

5,882
9
48
72

6

You should use nil for object pointers, NULL only for non-object pointers. Using the wrong one misleads the reader (who will be you six months from now). – Peter Hosey Feb 28 '09 at 20:41
2

Actually this code snippet came from an Apple provided example. I think they would know the right way to do things. But I digress, it is now changed to nil. – joshwbrick Mar 01 '09 at 01:59
8

Sometimes Apple examples are written hastily or were written a long time ago. Some of the "Sample Code" projects they provide contain crimes against nature. Things change, stale examples are forever. :-) – Joshua Nozzi Mar 21 '12 at 13:22

score 21 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 20 '16 at 14:37

21

Swift 2:

Copy a string to the general pasteboard with Swift 2:

let pasteboard = NSPasteboard.generalPasteboard()
pasteboard.declareTypes([NSPasteboardTypeString], owner: nil)
pasteboard.setString("Hello", forType: NSPasteboardTypeString)

answered Jan 20 '16 at 14:37

Sebastian

8,952
3
32
30

score 19 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 14 '18 at 13:08

Before you copy a string on NSPasteboard it's better to clear the contents and then save.

Swift 4

    // Set string
    NSPasteboard.general.clearContents()
    NSPasteboard.general.setString("I copied a string", forType: .string)
    // Read copied string
    NSPasteboard.general.string(forType: .string)

Objective-C

    // Set string
    [[NSPasteboard generalPasteboard] clearContents];
    [[NSPasteboard generalPasteboard] setString:@"I copied a string" forType:NSPasteboardTypeString];
    // Read string
    [[NSPasteboard generalPasteboard] stringForType:NSPasteboardTypeString];

And also there are other available types for copying items on NSPasteboard. Like:

NSPasteboardTypeString
NSPasteboardTypePDF
NSPasteboardTypeTIFF
NSPasteboardTypePNG
NSPasteboardTypeRTF

You can find more details on https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appkit/nspasteboardtype.

score 15 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 21 '12 at 08:53

15

Apple is suggesting people move away from NSStringPboardType and use NSPasteboardTypeString instead.

answered Mar 21 '12 at 08:53

Jason Fuerstenberg

1,341
13
13

Agreed. But it's always better to write both types as legacy apps may not read the new one (NSPasteboardTypeString). – Micha Mazaheri Sep 11 '14 at 18:51

score 14 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 10 '12 at 12:02

As of 10.6, the following implementation is also possible:

- (BOOL) writeToPasteBoard:(NSString *)stringToWrite
{
    [pasteBoard clearContents];
    return [pasteBoard writeObjects:[NSArray arrayWithObject:stringToWrite]];
}

It's important to notice that #clearContents has to be called before something new can be written to the pasteboard, otherwise #writeObjects: keeps returning NO.

The new #writeObjects: methods is possible for objects that conform to the NSPasteboardWriting protocol. There's also an NSPasteboardReading Protocol, but using it wouldn't make the implementation any simpler.

Thanks for clarifying the big gotcha: have to clear the clipboard before writing. — M Katz, Nov 18 '20 at 09:30

score 4 · Answer 6 · answered Oct 17 '17 at 09:10

4

Swift 4 version:

NSPasteboard.general.clearContents()
NSPasteboard.general.setString("Hello World", forType: .string)

answered Oct 17 '17 at 09:10

Dave Wood

13,143
2
59
67

score 1 · Answer 7 · answered Jul 25 '19 at 10:47

This works on Mojave 10.14.5 and does not use any deprecated APIs:

NSPasteboard *pasteboard = [NSPasteboard generalPasteboard];
[pasteboard declareTypes:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:NSPasteboardTypeString, nil] owner:nil];
[pasteboard setString:@"Hello clipboard!" forType:NSPasteboardTypeString];

score 1 · Answer 8 · answered Jul 03 '22 at 13:01

1

For macOS 10.12 and later:

let pasteboard = NSPasteboard.general
pasteboard.prepareForNewContents()
pasteboard.writeObjects(["hello world" as NSString])

answered Jul 03 '22 at 13:01

Jonny

1,969
18
25

score 1 · Answer 9 · answered Dec 19 '22 at 23:11

1

Swift 5

To copy a string in the clipboard you need to "prepare the pasteboard" before set string to copy

    NSPasteboard.general.prepareForNewContents()
    NSPasteboard.general.setString(stringToCopy, forType: .string)

answered Dec 19 '22 at 23:11

L. Davì

31
2

score 0 · Answer 10 · answered Sep 10 '15 at 18:50

For the record, to copy a string to the system clipboard, you can use

NSPasteboard *pasteBoard = [NSPasteboard generalPasteboard];
[pasteBoard declareTypes:[NSArray arrayWithObject:NSStringPboardType] owner:nil];
[pasteBoard setString:string forType:NSStringPboardType];

score 0 · Answer 11 · answered Jan 12 '23 at 09:37

0

Swift 5,

let pasteBoard = NSPasteboard.general
pasteBoard.clearContents()
pasteBoard.setString("Test string",forType :.string)

Retrieve part,

NSTextField.pasteAsPlainText(NSPasteboard.general.string(forType:.string)

answered Jan 12 '23 at 09:37

Vinayaka S Yattinahalli

716
6
17

Writing a string to NSPasteBoard

11 Answers11

Swift 2:

Linked