Cut and Paste history?

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Level 1

9 points

Cut and Paste history?

Is there are any way to access previous bits of text that may have been cut/copy + pasted in OSX? I recently wrote a blog comment post, copied it so I could paste it before publishing, then copied a URL, meaning that I lost the long post.

Does the Mac have something like a clipboard where I can go back to the previous cut/copy command and retrieve the text?

Macbook Core Duo, Mac OS X (10.5.6), 2gb Crucial RAM 500gb WD HDD / 80gb iPod Video

Posted on May 14, 2009 12:25 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

May 14, 2009 12:41 AM in response to robbo™

Back in the pre OSX days there used to be a Scrapbook where you could do just that. Check out these two:
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/10564
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/3912

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Answer 2

May 14, 2009 1:54 AM in response to robbo™

robbo,

You may be looking for the functionality that Text Clippings provide. If, instead of copying or cutting, you drag the selected text out of the application into the Finder, a "Text Clipping" is created. This becomes like a portable and semi-permanent clipboard. You can drag it into any window to paste it in; it works in text documents, dialogues, etc. In short, anywhere that you would otherwise be able to paste.

Text Clippings stay put as a file until you place them in the trash and empty it, just like any other file.

Scott

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Answer 3

robbo™ Author

Level 1

9 points

May 18, 2009 7:50 AM in response to Scott Radloff

That is useful - thanks

I was hoping for some comparable functionality to what (ahem) Microsoft's Office products used to offer in Word etc. There used to be an option to see multiple cut/paste history.

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Answer 4

V.K.

Level 9

56,174 points

May 18, 2009 8:03 AM in response to robbo™

AFAIK, there is nothing built in for this. some 3rd party programs can do it though. I use Butler (it's 3rd party app launcher) which can do this.

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Answer 5

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

May 18, 2009 8:05 AM in response to robbo™

Check out the excellent pthPasteboard - pretty much unlimited access to your cut and paste history in any app.

Regards

TD

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