An array of strings containing the names of the data formats available in this Clipboard object.

String constants for the names of the standard formats are defined in the ClipboardFormats class. Other, application-defined, strings may also be used as format names to transfer data as an object.

See also

 var availableFormats:Array = Clipboard.generalClipboard.formats;

The operating system clipboard.

Any data pasted to the system clipboard is available to other applications. This may include insecure remote code running in a web browser.

Note: In Flash Player 10 applications, a paste operation from the clipboard first requires a user event (such as a keyboard shortcut for the Paste command or a mouse click on the Paste command in a context menu). Clipboard.getData() will return the contents of the clipboard only if the InteractiveObject has received and is acting on a paste event. Calling Clipboard.getData() under any other circumstances will be unsuccessful. The same restriction applies in AIR for content outside the application sandbox.

The generalClipboard object is created automatically. You cannot assign another instance of a Clipboard to this property. Instead, you use the getData() and setData() methods to read and write data to the existing object.

You should always clear the clipboard before writing new data to it to ensure that old data in all formats is erased.

 import flash.desktop.ClipboardFormats;
 
 var copy:String = "A string to copy to the system clipboard.";
 Clipboard.generalClipboard.clear();
 Clipboard.generalClipboard.setData(ClipboardFormats.TEXT_FORMAT, copy);

 import flash.desktop.ClipboardFormats;
 
 var pasteData:String  = Clipboard.generalClipboard.getData(ClipboardFormats.TEXT_FORMAT) as String;

Creates an empty Clipboard object.

See also

 import flash.desktop.Clipboard;
 
 var clipboard:Clipboard = new Clipboard();

Deletes all data representations from this Clipboard object.

 Clipboard.generalClipboard.clear();

Deletes the data representation for the specified format.

Parameters

 import flash.desktop.ClipboardFormats;
 
 Clipboard.generalClipboard.clearData(ClipboardFormats.TEXT_FORMAT);

Gets the clipboard data if data in the specified format is present.

Flash Player requires that the getData() be called in a paste event handler. In AIR, this restriction only applies to content outside of the application security sandbox.

When a standard data format is accessed, the data is returned as a new object of the corresponding Flash Player or AIR type.

When an application-defined format is accessed, the value of the transferMode parameter determines whether a reference to the original object or an anonymous object containing a serialized copy of the original object is returned. When an originalPreferred or clonePreferred mode is specified, Flash Player or AIR returns the alternate version if the preferred version is not available. When an originalOnly or cloneOnly mode is specified, Flash Player or AIR returns null if the requested version is not available.

Parameters

See also

 import flash.desktop.ClipboardFormats;

 var pasteData:String = Clipboard.generalClipboard.getData(ClipboardFormats.TEXT_FORMAT) as String;

Checks whether data in the specified format exists in this Clipboard object.

Use the constants in the ClipboardFormats class to reference the standard format names.

Parameters

See also

if(Clipboard.generalClipboard.hasFormat(ClipboardFormats.TEXT_FORMAT)){
    //do something 
}

Adds a representation of the information to be transferred in the specified data format. Flash Player requires a user event (such as a key press or mouse click) before using setData(). In AIR, this restriction only applies to content outside of the application security sandbox.

Different representations of the same information can be added to the clipboard in different formats, which increases the ability of other components or applications to make use of the available data. For example, in an AIR application, an image could be added as bitmap data for use by image editing applications, as a Bitmap object for use by other AIR applications, and as an encoded PNG file for transfer to the native file system.

The data parameter must be the appropriate data type for the specified format:

Custom format names cannot begin with "air:" or "flash:". In an AIR application, to prevent name collisions when using custom formats, you may want to use your application ID or a package name as a prefix to the format, such as "com.example.applicationName.dataPacket".

When transferring within or between Flash Player or AIR applications, the serializable parameter determines whether both a reference and a copy are available, or whether only a reference to an object is available. Set serializable to true to make both the reference and a copy of the data object available. Set serializable to false to make only the object reference available. Object references are valid only within the current application so setting serializable to false also means that the data in that format is not available to other Flash Player or AIR applications. A component can choose to get the reference or the copy of the object by setting the appropriate clipboard transfer mode when accessing the data for that format.

Note: The standard formats are always converted to native formats when data is pasted or dragged (AIR only) outside a supported application, so the value of the serializable parameter does not affect the availability of data in the standard formats to non-Flash Player or non-AIR applications.

To defer rendering of the data for a format, use the setDataHandler() method instead. If both the setData() and the setDataHandler() methods are used to add a data representation with the same format name, then the handler function will never be called.

Note: On Mac OS, when you set the format parameter to ClipboardFormats.URL_FORMAT, the URL is transferred only if it is a valid URL. Otherwise, the Clipboard object is emptied (and calling getData() returns null).

Parameters

See also

 import flash.desktop.ClipboardFormats;
 
 var htmlString:String = "<html><body>Body content</body></html>";
 Clipboard.generalClipboard.setData(ClipboardFormats.TEXT_FORMAT, urlString);
 Clipboard.generalClipboard.setData(ClipboardFormats.HTML_FORMAT, urlString);

Adds a reference to a handler function that produces the data for the specified format on demand. Use this method to defer creation or rendering of the data until it is actually accessed. Flash Player requires a user event (such as a key press or mouse click) before using setDataHandler(). In AIR, this restriction only applies to content outside of the application security sandbox.

The handler function must return the appropriate data type for the specified format:

The handler function is called when and only when the data in the specified format is read. Note that the underlying data can change between the time the handler is added and the time the data is read unless your application takes steps to protect the data. The behavior that occurs when data on the clipboard represented by a handler function is read more than once is not guaranteed. Flash Player or AIR might return the data produced by the first function call or it might call the function again. Do not rely on either behavior.

To add data directly to this Clipboard object, use the setData() method instead. If both the setData() and the setDataHandler() methods are called with the same format name, then the handler function is never called.

Note: On Mac OS, when you set the format parameter to ClipboardFormats.URL_FORMAT, the URL is transferred only if the handler function returns a valid URL. Otherwise, the Clipboard object is emptied (and calling getData() returns null).

Parameters

See also

 import flash.desktop.ClipboardFormats;
 
 Clipboard.generalClipboard.setDataHandler(ClipboardFormats.TEXT_FORMAT, randomNumberGenerator);

 public function randomNumberGenerator():String{
     return Math.random().toString();
 }

1. Write the data, in this case a string, to Clipboard.generalClipboard.
2. Read the clipboard contents from Clipboard.generalClipboard.

Note: Because of security restrictions on accessing clipboard data, this example does not work in Flash Player. In Flash Player, you can only call the getData() method of the Clipboard object in a paste event handler.

package
{
    import flash.display.Sprite;
    import flash.desktop.Clipboard;
    import flash.desktop.ClipboardFormats;
    import flash.desktop.ClipboardTransferMode;

    public class ClipboardExample extends Sprite
    {
        public function ClipboardExample()
        {
            var sally:String = "Sally";
            var person:String;
            
            copy(sally);
            person = paste();
            trace(person); //traces: "Sally"
        }

        private function copy(text:String):void 
        {
            Clipboard.generalClipboard.clear();
            Clipboard.generalClipboard.setData(ClipboardFormats.TEXT_FORMAT, text);
        }
        
        private function paste():String
        {
            if(Clipboard.generalClipboard.hasFormat(ClipboardFormats.TEXT_FORMAT))
            {
                return String(Clipboard.generalClipboard.getData(ClipboardFormats.TEXT_FORMAT));
            } 
            else 
            {
                return null;
            }
        }
        
    }
}