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Cut, copy, and paste

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copy source elsewhere on the same screen, the copy would be made as soon as the shift was released. Similarly, holding shift and control would copy and cut (delete) the source. This workflow requires many fewer keystrokes/mouse clicks than the current multi-step workflows, and did not require an explicit copy buffer. It was dropped, one presumes, because the original Apple and IBM GUIs were not high enough density to permit multiple windows, as were the PARC machines, and so multiple simultaneous windows were rarely used.
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The clipboard usually stays invisible, because the operations of cutting and pasting, while actually independent, usually take place in quick succession, and the user (usually) needs no assistance in understanding the operation or maintaining mental context. Some application programs provide a means
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command structure, where the command name was provided first and the object to be copied or moved was second. The inversion from verb—object to object—verb on which copy and paste are based, where the user selects the object to be operated before initiating the operation, was an innovation crucial
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The original cut, copy, and paste workflow, as implemented at PARC, utilizes a unique workflow: With two windows on the same screen, the user could use the mouse to pick a point at which to make an insertion in one window (or a segment of text to replace). Then, by holding shift and selecting the
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commands to delineate a contiguous region of text, then delete or move it. Since moving a region of text requires first removing it from its initial location and then inserting it into its new location, various schemes had to be invented to allow for this multi-step process to be specified by the
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from a source to a destination. It differs from cut and paste in that the original source text or data does not get deleted or removed. The popularity of this method stems from its simplicity and the ease with which users can move data between various applications visually – without resorting to
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operation takes place which visibly inserts the clipboard text at the insertion point. (The paste operation does not typically destroy the clipboard text: it remains available in the clipboard and the user can insert additional copies at other
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Computer-based editing can involve very frequent use of cut-and-paste operations. Most software-suppliers provide several methods for performing such tasks, and this can involve (for example) key combinations, pulldown menus, pop-up menus, or
851: 639:. The clipboard typically remains invisible. On most systems only one clipboard location exists, hence another cut or copy operation overwrites the previously stored information. Many 351:
user. Often this was done with a "move" command, but some text editors required that the text be first put into some temporary location for later retrieval/placement. In 1983, the
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them onto another page. This practice remained standard into the 1980s. Stationery stores sold "editing scissors" with blades long enough to cut an 8½"-wide page. The advent of
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Inspired by early line and character editors that broke a move or copy operation into two steps—between which the user could invoke a preparatory action such as navigation—
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Whereas cut-and-paste often takes place with a mouse-equivalent in Windows-like GUI environments, it may also occur entirely from the keyboard, especially in UNIX
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command is issued. The data remains available to any application supporting the feature, thus allowing easy data transfer between applications.
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allow the user to perform all the basic editing operations, and the keys are clustered at the left end of the bottom row of the standard
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Visibly, "cut" text immediately disappears from its location. "Cut" files typically change color to indicate that they will be moved.
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The term "cut and paste" comes from the traditional practice in manuscript editing, whereby people cut paragraphs from a page with
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proposed the names "cut" and "copy" for the first step and "paste" for the second step. Beginning in 1974, he and colleagues at
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text-editors provide multiple clipboard entries, as do some Macintosh programs such as Clipboard Master, and Windows
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The user selects a location for insertion by some method, typically by clicking at the desired insertion point.
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Similar patterns of key combinations, later borrowed by others, are widely available in most GUI applications.
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The capability to replicate information with ease, changing it between contexts and applications, involves
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is pressed in most graphical systems) or the entire current line, but it may also involve text after the
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refer to the dissemination of such information through documents, and may be subject to regulation by
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command creates a duplicate; in both cases the selected data is kept in temporary storage called the
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implemented several text editors that used cut/copy-and-paste commands to move and copy text.
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The user selects or "highlights" the text or file for moving by some method, typically by
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for the success of the desktop metaphor as it allowed copy and move operations based on
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became the first text editing system to call that temporary location "the clipboard".
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The act of copying or transferring text from one part of a computer-based document ("
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computer, and in a few home computer applications such the 1984 word processor
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The term "copy-and-paste" refers to the popular, simple method of reproducing
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over the text or file name with the pointing-device or holding down the
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later also adopted the Apple key combinations with the introduction of
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Conceptually, the text has now moved to a location often called the
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until the end of the line and other more sophisticated operations.
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of viewing, or sometimes even editing, the data on the clipboard.
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A personal history of modeless text editing and cut/copy-paste
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Kuhn, Werner (1993). "Metaphors create theories for users".
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concerns because of the risks of disclosure when handling
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The user performs a "cut" operation via key combination
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Clipboard Master 2.0 by In Phase Consulting, July 1994
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Spatial Information Theory a Theoretical Basis for GIS
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are sensitive, with potential for the introduction of
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2. Peer-to-Peer Communication by Means of Selections
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Laubach, Lori; Wakefield, Catherine (June 8, 2012).
67:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 1024:American Health Information Management Association 243:has close associations with related techniques in 869: 1076: 834: 573:The sequence diagram of cut and paste operation 875: 194:. Clipboard data is later inserted wherever a 546:this was a big change as DOS users used the " 506:(CUA) standard also uses combinations of the 928: 717:Sequence diagram of the copy-paste operation 323:made the practice easier and more flexible. 900: 830: 828: 415:, which is held down while also pressing 127:Learn how and when to remove this message 712: 568: 205:based on the physical procedure used in 138: 14: 1077: 825: 542:. For users migrating to Windows from 933:. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. 857:from the original on August 20, 2014 737:Use in healthcare documentation and 186:from its original position, and the 65:adding citations to reliable sources 36: 396:popularized this paradigm with its 342:The earliest editors (designed for 24: 438:These are the standard shortcuts: 143:Cut, copy, and paste icons are in 25: 1111: 1049: 697: 374: 1026:. March 17, 2014. Archived from 564: 358:Earlier control schemes such as 337: 41: 973:from the original on 2011-11-17 917:from the original on 2013-05-26 793:Publishing Interchange Language 708:copy and paste (disambiguation) 52:needs additional citations for 1009: 984: 959: 922: 810:— Cut, copy, and paste in the 34:Computer user interface method 13: 1: 969:. Designinginteractions.com. 818: 629:users), menu, or other means. 773:Copy & paste programming 647:programs such as the one in 7: 756: 170:technique for transferring 10: 1116: 701: 381:Lawrence G. "Larry" Tesler 306: 301: 209:print editing to create a 168:interprocess communication 160:human–computer interaction 26: 1085:User interface techniques 889:Communications of the ACM 739:electronic health records 245:graphical user interfaces 228:workstation and the 1984 201:The command names are an 943:10.1007/3-540-57207-4_24 220:in 1974, popularized by 526:used the IBM standard. 263:as part of its GUI and 718: 706:. For other uses, see 574: 504:IBM Common User Access 148: 76:"Cut, copy, and paste" 1095:Clipboard (computing) 937:. Springer: 366–376. 902:10.1145/363848.363863 716: 572: 427:for paste. These few 296:administrative bodies 276:sensitive information 241:interaction technique 174:through a computer's 164:user interface design 142: 895:(12): 793–799, 803, 808:Transposable element 798:Simultaneous editing 747:information overload 522:. Early versions of 346:terminals) provided 182:command removes the 152:Cut, copy, and paste 61:improve this article 29:Cut and Paste (film) 369:direct manipulation 992:"Clipboard Master" 885:"An online editor" 881:Lampson, Butler W. 803:X Window selection 719: 575: 429:keyboard shortcuts 203:interface metaphor 149: 1067:by Larry Tesler ( 1033:on March 12, 2016 952:978-3-540-57207-7 877:Deutsch, L. Peter 732:permanent storage 645:clipboard-manager 411:key as a special 137: 136: 129: 111: 16:(Redirected from 1107: 1043: 1042: 1040: 1038: 1032: 1021: 1013: 1007: 1006: 1004: 1002: 988: 982: 981: 979: 978: 963: 957: 956: 926: 920: 918: 904: 873: 867: 866: 864: 862: 856: 841: 832: 649:Microsoft Office 594:while using the 261:operating system 249:pointing devices 247:(GUIs) that use 166:. They offer an 132: 125: 121: 118: 112: 110: 69: 45: 37: 21: 1115: 1114: 1110: 1109: 1108: 1106: 1105: 1104: 1090:Data management 1075: 1074: 1052: 1047: 1046: 1036: 1034: 1030: 1019: 1015: 1014: 1010: 1000: 998: 990: 989: 985: 976: 974: 965: 964: 960: 953: 927: 923: 874: 870: 860: 858: 854: 839: 833: 826: 821: 759: 711: 704:Hurricane Venus 700: 685: 681: 624: 620: 614: 610: 567: 497: 493: 483: 479: 469: 465: 452: 448: 426: 422: 418: 410: 377: 340: 309: 304: 234:Cut & Paste 133: 122: 116: 113: 70: 68: 58: 46: 35: 32: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1113: 1103: 1102: 1097: 1092: 1087: 1073: 1072: 1062: 1051: 1050:External links 1048: 1045: 1044: 1008: 983: 958: 951: 921: 868: 844:Moss Adams LLP 823: 822: 820: 817: 816: 815: 805: 800: 795: 790: 785: 780: 775: 770: 765: 758: 755: 743:medical errors 699: 698:Copy and paste 696: 683: 679: 664: 663: 655: 652: 633: 630: 622: 616: 612: 606: 603: 566: 563: 500: 499: 495: 491: 485: 481: 477: 471: 467: 463: 457: 450: 446: 424: 420: 416: 405: 394:Apple Computer 376: 375:Popularization 373: 339: 336: 308: 305: 303: 300: 265:widget toolkit 253:computer mouse 222:Apple Computer 176:user interface 154:are essential 135: 134: 49: 47: 40: 33: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1112: 1101: 1098: 1096: 1093: 1091: 1088: 1086: 1083: 1082: 1080: 1070: 1066: 1063: 1061: 1057: 1054: 1053: 1029: 1025: 1018: 1012: 997: 993: 987: 972: 968: 962: 954: 948: 944: 940: 936: 932: 925: 916: 912: 908: 903: 898: 894: 890: 886: 882: 878: 872: 853: 849: 845: 838: 831: 829: 824: 813: 809: 806: 804: 801: 799: 796: 794: 791: 789: 786: 784: 783:Drag and drop 781: 779: 776: 774: 771: 769: 766: 764: 761: 760: 754: 752: 748: 744: 740: 735: 733: 728: 724: 715: 709: 705: 695: 691: 689: 677: 673: 669: 660: 656: 653: 650: 646: 642: 638: 634: 631: 628: 619: 609: 604: 601: 597: 593: 589: 585: 584: 583: 581: 571: 565:Cut and paste 562: 558: 555: 553: 549: 545: 541: 537: 533: 529: 525: 521: 517: 513: 509: 505: 489: 486: 475: 472: 461: 458: 456: 444: 441: 440: 439: 436: 434: 430: 423:for copy, or 414: 409: 403: 399: 395: 391: 389: 386: 382: 372: 370: 365: 361: 356: 354: 349: 345: 338:Early methods 335: 334:text editor. 333: 329: 324: 322: 318: 314: 299: 297: 293: 289: 288:carry forward 285: 281: 278:. Terms like 277: 273: 268: 266: 262: 258: 257:drag and drop 254: 250: 246: 242: 237: 235: 231: 227: 223: 219: 216: 212: 208: 204: 199: 197: 193: 189: 185: 184:selected data 181: 177: 173: 169: 165: 161: 157: 153: 146: 141: 131: 128: 120: 117:November 2023 109: 106: 102: 99: 95: 92: 88: 85: 81: 78: –  77: 73: 72:Find sources: 66: 62: 56: 55: 50:This article 48: 44: 39: 38: 30: 19: 18:Cut and paste 1035:. Retrieved 1028:the original 1011: 1001:14 September 999:. Retrieved 995: 986: 975:. Retrieved 961: 934: 930: 924: 892: 888: 871: 859:. Retrieved 788:Photomontage 736: 720: 692: 668:text editors 665: 658: 598:to move the 576: 559: 556: 554:" commands. 540:modifier key 534:, using the 520:Control keys 501: 437: 392: 378: 357: 341: 325: 321:photocopiers 310: 291: 287: 284:copy forward 283: 279: 269: 238: 224:in the 1983 200: 195: 187: 179: 151: 150: 123: 114: 104: 97: 90: 83: 71: 59:Please help 54:verification 51: 778:Copy Cursor 768:Control key 600:text cursor 536:control key 400:(1983) and 364:verb—object 344:teleprinter 211:page layout 1079:Categories 977:2011-11-25 819:References 670:, such as 596:arrow keys 498:) to paste 435:keyboard. 353:Apple Lisa 251:such as a 207:manuscript 158:of modern 87:newspapers 1037:April 23, 919:, p. 793. 861:April 23, 848:MultiCare 763:Clipboard 725:or other 637:clipboard 627:Macintosh 592:Shift key 582:buttons. 528:Microsoft 492:⌘ Command 488:Control-V 484:) to copy 478:⌘ Command 474:Control-C 464:⌘ Command 460:Control-X 447:⌘ Command 443:Control-Z 419:for cut, 402:Macintosh 230:Macintosh 192:clipboard 971:Archived 915:archived 911:18441825 883:(1967), 852:Archived 757:See also 662:points). 588:dragging 470:) to cut 413:modifier 348:keyboard 313:scissors 156:commands 1100:Copying 1058:in the 580:toolbar 550:" and " 532:Windows 524:Windows 408:Command 362:used a 307:Origins 302:History 280:cloning 272:privacy 101:scholar 949:  909:  812:genome 749:, and 688:cursor 508:Insert 433:QWERTY 328:buffer 292:re-use 178:. 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Index

Cut and paste
Cut and Paste (film)

verification
improve this article
adding citations to reliable sources
"Cut, copy, and paste"
news
newspapers
books
scholar
JSTOR
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ERP5
commands
human–computer interaction
user interface design
interprocess communication
data
user interface
selected data
clipboard
interface metaphor
manuscript
page layout
Xerox
PARC
Apple Computer
Lisa

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