Working With the Clipboard (SAP Library - BC

Working With the Clipboard

The clipboard is a separate storage area in which a piece of information can be stored temporarily. There are functions that transfer the information to, or retrieve it from the clipboard. These functions can typically be used as an alternative to the Copy and Move functions described above. If both options are available, the clipboard functions should be preferred.

Three commands work with the clipboard:

Copy : This command copies the line at the current cursor position to the clipboard.

Cut : This command moves the line at the current cursor position to the clipboard. This command thus deletes the line from the table structure.

Paste : This command inserts the line stored in the clipboard before the line at the current cursor position. If a data structure which is not compatible with the table structure is to be inserted, an error message is issued.

These three functions are above all useful for transferring data between different table structures.

This functionality should not be confused with the local cut-and-paste functionality offered by the frontend.

Comparison With Modal Functions

Combinations of the three functions result in the "conventional" functions for modifying a table structure:

Direct Copy = Copy + Paste

Delete = Cut (the first contents are lost with repeated cutting or copying into the clipboard)

Move = Cut + Paste (at another position)

An additional function which allows the user to view the contents of the clipboard in a dialog box should be added to these three functions.

Notes

Copy and Cut refer to the selected area of the table structure. If no lines were selected, the line on which the cursor is positioned is copied or moved to the clipboard. A message should be displayed in the status bar: n lines are copied (or moved) to the clipboard.

Paste is always carried out (once) in the line before the cursor position. The contents of the clipboard remain unchanged.