DonationCoder.com Forum
Main Area and Open Discussion => General Software Discussion => Topic started by: REDONDOS on July 07, 2005, 10:21 PM
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Hi there. First of all, I don't know if I'm posting in the right forum, sorry if I got it wrong.
Now to the question: from time to time I'm in the need of an application that would change the way I copy/paste. Something that has a history of objects that had been on the clipboard, so that I can access them later quickly, without the need of using my mouse. About 5 years ago, I browsed entire categories from download.com, tucows.com, and some other software indexing sites looking for a tool that performed these tasks efficiently, but found none. Now, I was about to do that again until I remembered about these forums and that most of you guys like exploring new tools, so maybe you already know such tool, and can help me out with suggestions.
Thanks in advance,
Red
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What capabilities do you need, and how much are you willing to spend?
I use ClipMate (http://www.thornsoft.com/), and while some things about it annoy me, I haven't found anything better. Some freeware options like ClipX (http://bluemars.org/clipx/) are fast, but don't have all the features, of course.
I've also used ClipCache (http://xrayz.co.uk/clipcache/?page=default), and it's not too bad.
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I'd just like to add a word about ClipMate ($29.95 US - http://www.thornsoft.com/download.htm). There are a number of alternative shareware and freeware Clipboard extenders but this is the best that I have tried.
You can do all sorts of things with it, including having it organise your "clips" into categories. You can save passwords and serial numbers and so on in "safe" folders (encrypted) and you can edit your clips before pasting. The editing feature includes a "cleanup" feature that will, for example, automatically remove the chevrons (>) from quoted e-mail text, change the case of text, remove linebreaks, etc. Of course, this may be overkill...
One complaint is that its unicode support is limited.
All in all, after using a clipboard extender for 18 months, I'd find it hard to function without one now.
Mike
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trying both clipmate and clipcache i have to say i think clipcache is underrated.
i'd say that clipcache has the better hotkey support by far - and for this kind of application that makes a great deal of sense to me.
or have i just been lazy and not looked into clipmate deep enough.
i find clipcache the more immediate to use when retrieving stored information. a quick tap of ctrl+` brings up a small menu of all recently snapped information in the clipboard plus a list of my frequently used items that i often paste into things. it's easy to select one of these from the menu just by using the arrow keys or the mouse.
if clipmate has something as simple to use i might swap over to it - i couldn't find anything last time i tried, though.
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my 2 cents on clipboard tools:
i use them for 1 and only 1 purpose, to keep a history of stuff copied into clipboard so i can go back and grab something old that i lost,
and so that if app crashes i can retrieve text from clipboard.
so in that sense, almost any tool would be sufficient.
the only problem ive found that my windows system sometimes loses the connection with the clipboard tool, and needs to be "repaired" through the tool. so if you are like me you might want to just look for a freeware tool, but look for one written by an author with some experience with reliable connections to clipboard chain so you dont lose the connections.
i've been trying clipmate myself - its wayyyy overkill for me, but it does seem able to maintain a good clipboard chain connection and i like having it make a sound when i copy stuff to clipboard so i know it got it.
i'd love to hear some recommendations for free clipboard tool.
oh and ability to search for text would be nice.
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ClipX (as mentioned above) is the best freeware clipboard tool I have used.
ClipMate supports hotkeys; you just need to configure it, or figure out what the default hotkeys are. I have Ctrl+Shift+Q set to bring up "quick paste" window. There is another hotkey you can use, once there, to switch among your categories (try F6). The ClipMate Explorer has a different hotkey, and I use F6 to switch between categories there.
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do any clipboard tools group clips by application you are in when you do the copy? if not, that's a shame..
i wonder if i could whip up such a clipboard tool in a weekend.
EDIT: i see clipmate does this :)
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Yeah, and that's an important feature. Some applications contain sensitive data that you don't want stashed away in another database, or on the clipboard for eons. ClipMate lets you prevent clips from being collected by individual applications.
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This forum/site is fantastic. Through posting a (clumsy) comment about Clipmate here I've already benefited from Scott's superior knowledge of the app. This is a lame thing to admit, especially after two years of using Clipmate, but I didn't know you could hit ctrl-shift-q and select from a navigable menu the clip that you want to insert. I've been content to double click the system tray icon and select from the Clipmate Explorer. What a dolt!
Thanks, Scott.
Thanks, too, to Nudone for prompting me to revisit ClipCache after a long absence. Looks like a very good alternative.
Best,
Mike
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nudone was just saying this in his last column, how all of us use apps for years and there are still things we never discover; it's nice to have a place where people who love using tools well can share discoveries.
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You're welcome, Darwin. (Love your theory, by the way :)) Once you open the "ClipMate Classic" window, you can select an entry using the arrow keys, and simply hit Enter to paste it in whatever application last had focus before bringing up the ClipMate Classic window. I emphasize that because ClipMate is smart enough to keep track of what window had focus when you brought up the ClipMate Classic window; so, you can actually flip around among windows, yet still have the selected text (or image) pasted automatically into the correct target window. (This does also mean that if you want to change the window that the text will go to, you will have to close the ClipMate Classic window, then switch to the correct window, then bring up the ClipMate Classic window again.)
You can also double click on an entry shown in the ClipMate Classic window.
I use Ctrl+Shift+C to open the ClipMate Explorer window, but I can't remember if that's the default (and it doesn't matter--you can change it to whatever you want). ClipMate Explorer doesn't have the "quick paste" feature; you have to select an entry, and then manually paste the data into the target application. This is how I happen to use ClipMate the vast majority of the time.
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it sounds like clipmate might have the hotkey or keyboard navigation options i'd want if i was going to replace clipcache.
just one question: using the keyboard, can you navigate through the different categories you have created when in the classic window or are you restricted to the default/current section that the 'tree' is set to?
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Thought I mentioned that in my blathering above... You'd use F6 to change categories in ClipMate, in both the "classic" and the "explorer" window. (I don't think that particular hotkey is configurable.) And you can mark any individual category as a "Favorite" (or not) to determine whether or not it is one of the ones selected by that hotkey.
For example, say you have these ClipMate categories:
Inbox
Personal Info
Black Hole
Then you right click the "Inbox" and "Black Hole" categories in the ClipMate "explorer" window, select Properties, and check the "Favorite" option for each. You do the same for "Personal Info", except that you leave "Favorite" unchecked. What will happen, then, is that if you open a ClipMate window and press F6, it will alternate between "Inbox" and "Black Hole", but ignore "Personal Info".
Edit: It may help to note that, in both the "classic" and "explorer" windows, the title bar changes to relect the name of the currently-selected category.
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ah right, yes, sorry Scott, i see you did mention it earlier. looks like clipmate wins again.
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No problem. And the Favorites option isn't very obvious, so I think it was worth mentioning.
Anyone who tried ClipMate some time ago (soon after it hit version 6) may have been turned off by it. There were some really nasty, and annoying, bugs. For some reason, I kept it around, and kept reporting its bugs. The serious bugs (that I know of) are long gone now. So I'd encourage anyone who tried an earlier version of ClipMate to try the latest.
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I didn't expect so many helpful replies, thanks a lot guys! I liked ClipCache better first because it is lighter, and seems to run faster; but then I figured that it doesn't have some of the options that make ClipMate so unique (such as the Safe). Some other things are just better in ClipMate (such as searching for clips). I think I'll stick to this one.
Thanks again.
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There are also forums available for ClipMate:
http://www.thornsoft.com/phpBB2/index.php
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:) i'm back to using clipcache already. i just prefer the way it auto minimises out of the way and i still think the little menu thing that it pops up is the nicer to work.
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I can't remember what ClipCache does to be described as "auto minimizing out of the way", but ClipMate has an option where you can have the window hide whenever it loses focus. This mainly works for the ClipMate Explorer window.
I'm not trying to change your mind. What suits you depends on how you use it. I tend to copy and paste a lot of text, often formatted text, and ClipMate is really the only option for that.
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er, yeah, i think i meant have the window hide whenever it loses focus.
i suspected clipmate would do it but probably didn't give it long enough to find out.
looks like i'll be trying out clipmate again. oh well, bye bye clipcache for the moment.
the truth is i probably don't do enough with either of these programs for it to matter which one i use - hence the eternal swapping around.
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the truth is i probably don't do enough with either of these programs for it to matter which one i use - hence the eternal swapping around.
-nudone
That's exactly why I didn't know which one to use at first, but then I stayed with ClipMate just because I read a little tutorial found in the help file, so I know some commands that I don't for ClipCache. But they seem very similar to me. :wallbash:
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i'd love to hear some recommendations for free clipboard tool.
-mouser
I personnally use Kana Clip, a very good freeware clipboard manager. The beta version (version 2) is stable and got more features.
http://www.kana.homeip.net/index.php?i=27
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Yes, KanaClip is nice.
I like the "insert date/time" feature with the possibility to
create permanent clips wich also insert the current date.
e.g.
"In Germany now it's Saturday, Aug.27 @ 01:33 o'clock am."
I like the little pop-up window.
I like the text formating tools.
I use CLCL (http://www.nakka.com/soft/clcl/index_eng.html)
how have the better hotkey for me (press Shift 2times)
and the better handling of current and permanent clips (one window for both and drag and drop support)
and the possibility to include plugins with DLLs (ok, KanaClip have this features includet without plugins :)).
Mouser has also coded an very promising Clipboard tool >here< (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?board=49.0) :)
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so if you are like me you might want to just look for a freeware tool, but look for one written by an author with some experience with reliable connections to clipboard bility to search for text would be nice.
-mouser
You could try the last free version of ClipCache, available at
"Freeware programs that either went commercial after these versions or were discontinued, or are hard to find or just plain good: "
http://www.woundedmoon.org/win32_freeware.html
or
321Download.com's Last Free Version page for freeware that later went shareware/payware.
http://www.321download.com/index.html
Includes, e.g., ClipCache, PrintKey, Total Uninstall, etc.
--
Robert Bull
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wow - GREAT LINKS :up:
also, from lifehacker:
http://www.oldversion.com/
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wow - GREAT LINKS :up:
also, from lifehacker:
http://www.oldversion.com/
-mouser
Found a few more "Last Free Version" sites from a TalkAboutShareware (i.e., Pricelessware) official post:
The Freeware Graveyard
http://fwg.raum108.de/
NeverExpires.com: Software Orphans
http://www.neverexpires.com/orphans/
The Mole Zone: Rareware
http://htmole.altervista.org/rareware.htm
warning, haven't tried these yet.
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Love your Last-Freeware-Links :)
Danke schön.
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Edit:
I started to collect those links all > here < (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=881.new)
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Wow - Interesting thread... Glad I popped in.
I've tried ClipMate, but it really does too much for what I want. I know the underlying technology for clipboard managers, and I really doubt that I'll ever find anything that does EXACTLY what I want. However, I haven't bought ClipMate because it's just a lot of extras for me. Chris Thornton is a nice guy that I respect, but I already spend too much on software... :(
I'm glad to see the freeware managers that have been posted here. It's been a very low priority for me, and so far I haven't done anything about it, but I really need one. I'm going to give 2 of them a spin for a while - thanks to the posts above.
Man, I'm glad I found this site :)
Cheers,
Ryan
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Cross-quote:
My favorite Clipboard Manager ArsClip (just a 860 KB exe) offers an extra hotkey for pasting as plain text.
Example configuration:
CTRL + V = Paste (normal)
WIN + V = Paste as plain text
Some other features:
- Multiple permanent items groups
- Picture, RichText, File Copy, Unicode, HTML support
- Keypress emulation
- Form Mode for pasting multiple fields
- Highly configurable
Download:
http://www.joejoesoft.com/vcms/97/
-wr975
I'm using ClipX too, but I'm not 100% satisfied anymore, sometimes it does act up on my PC :( I wonder how ArsClip compares to ClipX (and maybe others)?
Maybe there's even anyone up to a "2006 clipboard managers" (mini-)review? :)
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you should try CLCL
http://www.nakka.com/soft/clcl/index_eng.html
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Based on a previous posting, I downloaded the free clipboard manager Yankee Clipper III and find it to be an excellent tool and very easy to use. :Thmbsup: http://www.intelexual.com/products/YC3/ (http://www.intelexual.com/products/YC3/)
jdd
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I've used ARSclip for the last 2 years, I love it. It's pretty full featured, unless you are doing advanced things with the clipboard besides just copying and pasting.
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Don't forget DonationCoder's own Clipboard Help and Spell: https://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/clipboardhelpandspell/index.html
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There's also AceText -- which is the one I use the most -- it's a good balance of lightweight & feature rich with an emphasis on managing/editing clips. I keep CH+S running, too, though--especially for it's quick text cleanup/manipulation popup.
If you love me, you'll use my
Acetext (referrel/affiliate) link (http://www.acetext.com/cgi-bin/affref.pl?aff=allen&ref=dc)
:D
Alternatively, here's a clean link to AceText (http://acetext.com)
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There's also AceText -- which is the one I use the most -- it's a good balance of -allen
Allen,
I notice this on the AceText site:
When a thought hits your mind, write it down in AceText. When you come across useful information on a web site or in a document, copy and paste or drag and drop it into AceText. Never again forget a good idea or lose a scrap of paper with valuable notes.
Use AceText's full-featured text editor to take notes and write down ideas at any time. Quickly jot down a brief thought, or hold a long brainstorming session writing down, organizing and sorting out ideas. Easily store web site addresses, text snippets or even whole documents. Drag and drop or paste them directly into an AceText collection. Move or copy previously captured text from the clipboard history and other AceText collections.
How would that feature relate to the "General brainstorming for Note-taking software" thread https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=2362.0;topicseen
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I'll bring myself up to date on the thread.
AceText itself . . . think of it as a simple notepad where multiple items are saved in it, organized in a tree base list -- and it reads directly from the clipboard.
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A heads-up from alt.comp.freeware (TalkAboutShareware):
ClipMagic has now gone freeware http://www.clipmagic.com/
What is ClipMagic ?
ClipMagic is a powerful Clipboard Extender and Information
Manager for storing Images and Text, either automatically or
manually in a categorised format, with details of the URL if the
text is from an Internet site.
To save something simply copy it to the Windows Clipboard by
pressing CTRL-C or right click on the mouse and select Copy.
ClipMagic then automatically stores it and if you have set up
Rules & Filters the clip will be moved into a particular
category.
Clips can easily be retrieved either by copying from ClipMagic
and pasting into your application or by using HotKeys or using
the new PastePicker.
Notice the automatic assigment to categories by rules and filters.
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A heads-up from alt.comp.freeware (TalkAboutShareware):
ClipMagic has now gone freeware http://www.clipmagic.com/
-rjbull
Thanks, that looks quite powerful!