CopyQ is a feature-rich clipboard manager that enhances the functionality of the clipboard in your operating system. It provides advanced features and tools for managing and manipulating clipboard content, making it a powerful utility for productivity and workflow improvement.
At its core, CopyQ extends the capabilities of the standard clipboard by allowing you to store and retrieve multiple clipboard entries. Unlike the default clipboard, which typically retains only the most recent copied item, CopyQ enables you to store a history of copied items, including text, images, files, and other data types. This means you can easily access and reuse previously copied content, saving time and effort.
CopyQ provides a user-friendly interface that allows you to browse and search through your clipboard history. You can quickly find and select specific entries, preview their content, and paste them into your active application. This feature is particularly useful when you need to refer back to earlier copied content or when you want to copy and paste multiple items in a specific order.
One of the standout features of CopyQ is its support for advanced data manipulation. It allows you to edit and modify the content of clipboard entries directly within the application. For text entries, you can perform various text operations like search and replace, regular expression matching, character encoding conversion, and more. This feature is especially valuable for cleaning up copied text, reformatting data, or performing quick edits without having to open the source application.
CopyQ also supports custom commands and scripts, enabling automation and extending its functionality. You can define and execute custom actions on clipboard entries using scripting languages like JavaScript, Python, or Lua. This capability allows you to perform complex operations, create macros, and integrate CopyQ with other applications or workflows.
In addition to managing clipboard history, CopyQ offers other handy features. It supports synchronization, allowing you to sync your clipboard history across multiple devices or instances of CopyQ. This ensures seamless access to your clipboard content regardless of the device you’re using. CopyQ also provides options for organizing and categorizing clipboard entries, as well as configuring keyboard shortcuts and other preferences for a personalized experience.
CopyQ is available for various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wide range of users. It is actively developed and maintained, with regular updates and improvements based on user feedback and community contributions.
copyq Command Examples
1. Launch CopyQ to store clipboard history:
# copyq
2. Show current clipboard content:
# copyq clipboard
3. Insert raw text into the clipboard history:
# copyq add -- text1 text2 text3
4. Insert text containing escape sequences (‘\n’, ‘\t’) into the clipboard history:
# copyq add firstline\nsecondline
5. Print the content of the first 3 items in the clipboard history:
# copyq read 0 1 2
6. Copy a file’s contents into the clipboard:
# copyq copy
7. Copy a JPEG image into the clipboard:
# copyq copy image/jpeg
Summary
In summary, CopyQ is a powerful clipboard manager that extends the functionality of the standard clipboard. With advanced features such as clipboard history, content manipulation, custom commands, and synchronization, CopyQ enhances productivity by making it easier to manage and reuse clipboard content. Whether you need to access previous clipboard entries, manipulate text or other data types, or automate repetitive tasks, CopyQ provides a robust solution for efficient clipboard management.