Get/Set Cliboard Text using Win API

Question

I like to do the same thing using the windows API.

   Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        TextBox1.Text = System.Windows.Forms.Clipboard.GetText
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button2_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
        System.Windows.Forms.Clipboard.SetText(TextBox1.Text)
    End Sub

I looked here: http://www.pinvoke.net/default.aspx/user32/GetClipboardData.html but I am not so sure how to use it and also how to set the text to the clipboard. Anyone who can help me out?

Answer 1

Pretty similar with this one:

Copy result to clipboard

And I converted it to VB.net version since the question is tagged with it:

Public Class Form1
    <DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Ansi)> _
    Public Shared Function OpenClipboard(ByVal hWndNewOwner As IntPtr) As Boolean
    End Function

    <DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Ansi)> _
    Public Shared Function CloseClipboard() As Boolean
    End Function

    <DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Ansi)> _
    Public Shared Function SetClipboardData(ByVal uFormat As UIntPtr, ByVal data As IntPtr) As Boolean
    End Function

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        OpenClipboard(IntPtr.Zero)
        Dim yourString = "Hello World!"
        Dim ptr As String = Marshal.StringToHGlobalUni(yourString)
        SetClipboardData(13, ptr)
        CloseClipboard()

        Marshal.FreeHGlobal(ptr)
    End Sub
End Class

Answer 2

The source C# version in question was buggy in an obscure way that can cause crashes.

If you experience problems, then here's a link to my response on the original topic, with a reference to a more robust alternative: SetClipboardData + StringToHGlobalUni is a bad combination.