Cut, copy, and paste

Copy and paste (even copy and paste, english copy and paste, copy & paste, copy ' n ' paste, abbreviated as C & P) is a two-step principle of the transfer of data between software applications.

First, the data to be transmitted from an application is transmitted in a cache (copy, copy '). From there, they can then be read in the same or any other application the user often again ( paste, insert ' ), since the data is retained in the cache.

Special case of copying and pasting the cut and paste (german cut and paste, or move, move), in which the affected item is also deleted after copying at origin.

• 2.1 paste server

Function

Copy & paste is used to copy a file in certain parts, or to parts of the text or intricately patterned strings without errors and save time to transfer to other programs ( for example, links, sequences of numbers, passwords). In addition to simple plain text, more complex data structures such as formatted text, images, tables, etc., or in general any object can be processed.

Technology

As an intermediate memory, the operating system internal clipboard ( Clipboard ) is used by many programs. In some cases bring applications such as Microsoft Office 2007 for reasons of comfort systems, which allow the caching of more than one record. Internally, the program can be implemented on a shared memory block on the heap.

Was expanded to the function in the common file browsers: So you can in addition to text copy entire files, copying files is usually done in two steps in order not to burden with too large files to memory too: First, only the path (ie the location) saved to a file. Only after inserting the actual file and its contents is copied or moved. The data transfer between applications can be implemented on Windows using technologies such as OLE or DDE.

When moving files on Windows NT, XP and Server 2003 operating systems, it should be noted that here the NTFS file system permissions have been taken over. Starting with Windows Vista ( NT 6.0) is no longer given this behavior, but it can be with a Microsoft hotfix re-install.

Copy & Paste and Drag & Drop

Is the same function embedded and visualized in a graphical interface, it is called drag and drop ( " drag and drop " ) - this term goes beyond the mere copying and inserting records. Also is not used in this variant, clipboard.

Handling

There are basically four types of handling ( which is not considered here that the elements to be copied can be marked with both the keyboard and the mouse ):

Paste server

In the Internet there are servers that provide publicly available clipboards forum ( Pastebin ). These are for example used for to make in chats, news articles, including long passages of text, configuration files, error logs or log files accessible without including them directly there.

Term " Copy & Waste" in programming circles

Due to the property of Copy & Paste that only the information of the selected text will be copied and not the references to the outside, by programmers Copy & Paste is also known as Copy & Waste (English for, copying and garbage ' ), since redundant code is generated, which is more difficult to maintain than reused (that is only linked ) code. Among other things, it is more difficult to fix bugs or extend functionality, if the same icon to be changed code was inserted in different places - and was possibly still minimal change.

" Copy and paste " text and scientific culture

Under the slogan Copy & Paste criticism is practiced in a textual culture in which content is more or less at random and often copied together in defiance of copyright from the Internet, without having to seek your own representation. This results in plagiarism; this is seen as a threat to a sound education and good scientific practice.

History

The clipboard is implemented along with basic text search and replace functions in the 1970s by Larry Tesler at Xerox PARC for Smalltalk -76 programming environment. Smalltalk -76 was developed in 1973-1976 and first used a GUI with windows (see WIMP ).

The functionality has been known by the operating systems of the Apple Lisa (1983 ) and Apple Macintosh ( 1984). The function consists of the simultaneous pressing the Command ( ⌘, or " apple " key ) and another key, namely X for Cut, C for copy, and V for Paste. These shortcuts were later adopted by Microsoft for Windows, in which case instead of the command key, the Control key is used. These functions can now be found in virtually all operating systems and programs. For some operating systems, they can also be accessed via a context menu.