Copy an image and text to the clipboard at the same time

Problem/Question/Abstract:

How to copy an image and text to the clipboard at the same time

Answer:

The clipboard can have multiple items in different formats on it. However, you need to add the various items to the clipboard using API functions rather than the Delphi object wrappers. The Delphi wrappers assume they are the only item on the clipboard and clear everything else off. The following shows one way to put both a bitmap and text on the clipboard.

{ ... }
var
lBmpFmt: TBMPExportFormat;
lTmpBmp: Graphics.TBitmap;
lData: THandle;
lFormat: Word;
lPalette: HPALETTE;
lTxtFmt: TSeriesDataText;
Data: THandle;
DataPtr: Pointer;
lTxt: PChar;
begin
Clipboard.Open;
try
{Make sure the clipboard is cleared every time. Someone may have put some
other formats on it that hide the things we're going to put on it (since
there's a search protocol for appropriate types and our types may be lower
in the protocol and so not be found when it comes time to paste).}
Clipboard.Clear;
{Save as a bitmap}
lBmpFmt := TBMPExportFormat.Create;
try
lBmpFmt.Panel := Self;
lTmpBmp := lBmpFmt.Bitmap;
try
lPalette := 0;
lTmpBmp.SaveToClipboardFormat(lFormat, lData, lPalette);
SetClipboardData(lFormat, lData);
if lPalette <> 0 then
SetClipboardData(CF_PALETTE, lPalette);
finally
lTmpBmp.Free;
end;
finally
lBmpFmt.Free;
end;
{Save as text}
lTxtFmt := TSeriesDataText.Create(Self);
try
lTxt := PChar(lTxtFmt.AsString);
finally
lTxtFmt.Free;
end;
Data := GlobalAlloc(GMEM_MOVEABLE + GMEM_DDESHARE, StrLen(lTxt) + 1);
try
DataPtr := GlobalLock(Data);
try
Move(lTxt^, DataPtr^, StrLen(lTxt) + 1);
if SetClipboardData(CF_TEXT, Data) = 0 then
ShowMessage(SysErrorMessage(GetLastError));
finally
GlobalUnlock(Data);
end;
except
GlobalFree(Data);
raise;
end;
finally
Clipboard.Close;
end;
end;