Functionality of "Copy to Clipboard"

[Peter2]

For Version 8.339; maybe modified in current versions
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The tab of an open file offers the function "Copy full file name" - see image:
Zwischenablage-1

The "problem" is - is does more then this: It copies also the file itself, and e.g. in Outlook it does not paste "path and name", it pastes the file. A good function, but the description should be conform with the function ..

[Ovg]

Build 343 the same behavior ....

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

Hi, Ovg

I had to discuss this with our Dev team to find out what is going on here. It turns out that this is actually caused by outlook. Here is what the Dev team have said.

No, it does not copy the file, but it places on to clipboard the file name as plain text, along with a special structure called DROPFILE, which technically contain file name and some other info.
It is then up to the pasting app to choose which to use.

when pasting in outlook, you can see that there are two pasting options, and after pasting, use the "ctrl" menu to change the "default paste":

image.png (5.69 KiB) Viewed 1508 times

I hope this helps.

Kind regards,

[Ovg]

Hi Daniel!

I don't have Outlook and I tested with Explorer - I get a new copy of file after pressing Ctrl+V...

On the other hand - I tested another few progs and only file name was pasted ... (except Total Commander, which pasted file)

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

Hi, Ovg

My apologies, I misspoke there. I did not mean that outlook specifically is where the difficulty arises. I simply used outlook as it was what the inquiry initially references, and it is a good example of the fact that external applications have the choice of which set of data to handle.

The File path is copied, as well as the "DROPFILE" special structure, the external application at hand then chooses which to use. If the app you are pasting to does not offer a choice, it will use whichever it deems most appropriate for the paste you have attempted to perform.

Kind regards,

[Willy Van Nuffel]

Hi all,

The remark goes about the fact that the shortcut-menu offers literally the option "Copy Full File Name".
It does not talk about "copying the whole file".

So, why does PDF-XChange Editor give these both choices?
The end-user is not immediately aware of it, and maybe does not even need or want it.

Is it possible to limit the "Copy Full File Name"-option only to what it says ?
Or, is the bundle of the two choices bound to some Windows built-in API that cannot be split up ?

Thanks in advance for some additional information.

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

Hi, Willy Van Nuffel

As I have mentioned before, we are not copying the file itself, there is a special structure called "dropfile" which is also copied to the clipboard, and that structure can be used by other applications to follow the file path (which you copied) and retrieve the file if it so chooses. The dev team has expressed that we have no intentions of changing this function to work differently or have alternative text at this time.

Kind regards,

[Ovg]

Hi Daniel!

I'm wondering what for Editor pastes this structure into Clipboard instead of simply paste Path + File Name as stated?

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

Hi, Ovg

It works this way because that is how it was intended to be used, there is nothing more or less to it than that.
In applications which do not support the "dropfile" structure, it will paste the plain text, and in those that do, you will likely have an option or a way to paste without using it, like Outlook offers.

Kind regards,

[Ovg]

Hi Daniel!

Thank you for clarifications!

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]