How do I copy text to the clipboard (multi-browser)? Related: How does Trello access the user's clipboard?

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Copying text to the clipboard in a cross-browser way involves using the Clipboard API, and Trello, like other web applications, uses this API to access the clipboard. However, due to security reasons, browsers usually require user interaction (like a click event) to grant access to the clipboard.

Here's an example of how to copy text to the clipboard using the Clipboard API in JavaScript:

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <script>
        function copyToClipboard(text) {
            const textArea = document.createElement("textarea");
            textArea.value = text;
            document.body.appendChild(textArea);
            textArea.select();
            document.execCommand("copy");
            document.body.removeChild(textArea);
            alert("Text copied to clipboard: " + text);
        }
    </script>
</head>
<body>

<button onclick="copyToClipboard('Hello, clipboard!')">Copy to Clipboard</button>

</body>
</html>

In this example:

  1. The copyToClipboard function creates a temporary textarea element, sets its value to the text you want to copy, appends it to the document body, selects the content, and then executes the "copy" command to copy the selected text to the clipboard. Finally, the temporary textarea is removed.

  2. When the user clicks the "Copy to Clipboard" button, the copyToClipboard function is triggered, and the specified text is copied to the clipboard.

Regarding how Trello accesses the user's clipboard, web applications like Trello do not have direct access to the clipboard contents. Instead, they use the Clipboard API to request access to the clipboard for copying or pasting text. However, as mentioned earlier, this access usually requires user interaction and permission. Modern browsers prioritize user security and privacy, so the Clipboard API enforces strict policies on when and how clipboard access is allowed.

Trello would typically use the Clipboard API in a similar manner as shown in the example above to enable copying data to the clipboard when the user performs a specific action, such as clicking a button.

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