"Backdoor" methods to copy text to the clipboard?

[alancantor]

Some of my AHK scripts perform one action if text is selected, and another action if text is not selected. Here is a general technique that works reliably:

Code: Select all

!W::		; Alt + W

clipboard := ""

SendInput ^c
ClipWait, 1		; Wait for clipboard to populate

if ErrorLevel		; ErrorLevel is TRUE implies clipboard did NOT become populated, which means nothing was selected
	{
	MsgBox NO, there is nothing in the clipboard
	}
Else
	{
	MsgBox YES, there is something in the clipboard
	}
Return

I'm using a quirky application that is causing these kinds of scripts to fail. In this application, issuing a copy instruction copies an entire LINE. It does this even when nothing is selected. So this strategy, which works in every other application I've tried it in, is a bust in this one!

Are there "backdoor" methods for issuing a copy command via AHK? I'm wondering whether this bizarre behaviour is triggered by the built-in methods for copying: pressing Ctrl + C, or choosing Copy from a context menu.

[mikeyww]

This is actually fairly common. One workaround is to copy the text, then send Shift+Left, copy that string, and compare the two. The strings or their difference may tell you whether any text was originally selected. AHK also has a command to get the selected text from an edit control, but its success may depend on the specific control. You could try it.

https://www.autohotkey.com/docs/commands/ControlGet.htm#Selected