How Do I Copy Text to the Clipboard in C#?

Copy Data to the Clipboard in C#

Question:

How do we copy a string or the contents of a textbox to the System Clipboard in C#, so that the text can be retrieved and pasted by pressing CTRL V?

Answer:

To manipulate the clipboard in C#, we must utilize either the System.Windows.Forms or System.Windows namespaces. The choice depends on the application type:

• WinForms: System.Windows.Forms namespace and the [STAThread] attribute on the Main method.
• WPF: System.Windows namespace.
• Console: Add a reference to System.Windows.Forms, use the System.Windows.Forms namespace, and apply the [STAThread] attribute to the Main method.

To copy an exact string to the clipboard, use:

Clipboard.SetText("Hello, clipboard");

For the contents of a textbox, use either:

• TextBox.Copy()
• Get the text first and then set the clipboard value: Clipboard.SetText(txtClipboard.Text);

Remarks:

• The clipboard is a UI concept and is only applicable to desktop applications. Server-side code (e.g., ASP.Net) cannot set the clipboard value for client browsers.
• To resolve Current thread must be set to single thread apartment (STA) exceptions, follow the guidelines outlined in the linked resources.
• This approach applies to regular .NET; for .NET Core, refer to the resources provided for copy-to-clipboard functionality.

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