---
name: "Tk::Clipboard"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-tk"
version: "804.036-9"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Tk::Clipboard"
---

# Tk::Clipboard(3pm)

Manipulate Tk clipboard

## NAME

Tk::clipboard - Manipulate Tk clipboard

## SYNOPSIS

*$widget*-\>**clipboard***Option*?(*args*)?

## DESCRIPTION

This command provides an interface to the Tk clipboard, which stores data for later retrieval using the selection mechanism. In order to copy data into the clipboard, **clipboardClear** must be called, followed by a sequence of one or more calls to **clipboardAppend**.  To ensure that the clipboard is updated atomically, all appends should be completed before returning to the event loop.

The following methods are currently supported:

- *$widget*-\>**clipboardClear**

  Claims ownership of the clipboard on *$widget*'s display and removes any previous contents.   Returns an empty string.

- *$widget*-\>**clipboardAppend**(?**-format**=\>*format*?,?**-type**=\>*type*?,?**--**?,*data*)

  Appends *data* to the clipboard on `$widget`'s display in the form given by *type* with the representation given by *format* and claims ownership of the clipboard on `$widget`'s display.

  *Type* specifies the form in which the selection is to be returned (the desired \`\`target'' for conversion, in ICCCM terminology), and should be an atom name such as STRING or FILE\_NAME; see the Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual for complete details. *Type* defaults to STRING.

  The *format* argument specifies the representation that should be used to transmit the selection to the requester (the second column of Table 2 of the ICCCM), and defaults to STRING.  If *format* is STRING, the selection is transmitted as 8-bit ASCII characters. See the Tk::Selection documentation for explanation of what happens if *format* is not STRING. Note that arguments passed to **clipboardAppend** are concatenated before conversion, so the caller must take care to ensure appropriate spacing across string boundaries.  All items appended to the clipboard with the same *type* must have the same *format*.

  A **--** argument may be specified to mark the end of options:  the next argument will always be used as *data*. This feature may be convenient if, for example, *data* starts with a **-**.

- *$widget*-\>**clipboardGet**( ?-type? );

  Retrieve data from the clipboard on  *widget*'s  display. *-type* specifies the form in which the data is to be returned and should be an atom  name  such  as  STRING  or FILE\_NAME.  Type defaults to STRING.  This command is equivalent  to `"SelectionGet( -selection => 'CLIPBOARD' )"`.

## KEYWORDS

clear, format, clipboard, append, selection, type