How to use the command 'clip' (with examples)

The ‘clip’ command in Windows allows users to copy input content to the Windows clipboard. This command is particularly useful when working with command-line output or when you want to copy the contents of a file or text to the clipboard.

Use case 1: Pipe command-line output to the Windows clipboard

Code:

dir | clip

Motivation: When working with command-line output, it can be cumbersome to manually copy the results and then paste them elsewhere. By using the ‘clip’ command with a pipe, you can easily copy the output directly to the clipboard.

Explanation: The ‘dir’ command lists the files and directories in the current directory. The pipe symbol ‘|’ takes the output of the ‘dir’ command and passes it as input to the ‘clip’ command. The ‘clip’ command then copies the input content to the Windows clipboard.

Example output: The output of the ‘dir’ command will be copied to the clipboard, allowing you to paste it into another application or document.

Use case 2: Copy the contents of a file to the Windows clipboard

Code:

clip < path\to\file.ext

Motivation: Sometimes you may want to copy the content of a file to the clipboard without opening it. The ‘clip’ command provides a convenient way to achieve this.

Explanation: The ‘<’ symbol is used for input redirection, indicating that the content of the specified file should be treated as input for the ‘clip’ command. The ‘clip’ command then copies the content of the file to the Windows clipboard.

Example output: The content of the specified file will be copied to the clipboard, allowing you to paste it elsewhere.

Use case 3: Copy text with a trailing newline to the Windows clipboard

Code:

echo some text | clip

Motivation: When copying text to the clipboard, it’s important to ensure that the formatting is preserved. By using the ‘clip’ command, you can copy text with a trailing newline character, which can be useful in certain scenarios.

Explanation: The ’echo’ command is used to print text to the console. In this case, ‘some text’ is printed as output. The pipe symbol ‘|’ takes the output of the ’echo’ command and passes it as input to the ‘clip’ command. The ‘clip’ command then copies the input content to the Windows clipboard.

Example output: The text “some text” followed by a trailing newline character will be copied to the clipboard.

Use case 4: Copy text without a trailing newline to the Windows clipboard

Code:

echo | set /p="some text" | clip

Motivation: There may be situations where you want to copy text to the clipboard without including a trailing newline character. The ‘clip’ command can help achieve this by utilizing the ‘set’ command.

Explanation: The ’echo’ command is used to print an empty line, ‘| set /p=“some text”’ is used to set the value of the ‘some text’ variable without including a trailing newline, and the pipe symbol ‘|’ takes the output of the ‘set’ command as input for the ‘clip’ command. The ‘clip’ command then copies the input content to the Windows clipboard.

Example output: The text “some text” without a trailing newline character will be copied to the clipboard.

Conclusion

The ‘clip’ command in Windows provides a quick and convenient way to copy input content to the Windows clipboard. Whether you need to copy command-line output, the contents of a file, or text with or without a trailing newline, the ‘clip’ command can be a valuable tool for enhancing your productivity.