How to use the command `pbpaste` (with examples)

The pbpaste command in macOS is used to send the contents of the clipboard to stdout. It is comparable to pressing Cmd + V on the keyboard. This article will provide examples of how to use the pbpaste command in different scenarios.

Use case 1: Write the contents of the clipboard to a file

Code:

pbpaste > path/to/file

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to save the contents of your clipboard to a file for later use or reference. Instead of manually copying and pasting, you can use the pbpaste command to directly write the clipboard contents to a file.

Explanation: The > operator in the command pbpaste > path/to/file redirects the output of the pbpaste command to the specified file path. The pbpaste command retrieves the contents of the clipboard, and the > operator writes those contents to the specified file.

Example output: Let’s say the contents of the clipboard are “Hello, world!”. Running the command pbpaste > path/to/file will create a file at the specified path with the contents “Hello, world!”.

Use case 2: Use the contents of the clipboard as input to a command

Code:

pbpaste | grep foo

Motivation: This use case is handy when you have some text in the clipboard and want to perform an operation on it using a command. Instead of pasting the text manually and then executing the command, you can use the pbpaste command to directly pass the clipboard contents as input to the desired command.

Explanation: The | symbol in the command pbpaste | grep foo is a pipe operator that redirects the output of the pbpaste command to the grep command as input. The pbpaste command retrieves the contents of the clipboard, which is then passed as input to the grep command. The grep command searches for the pattern “foo” in the clipboard contents.

Example output: Suppose the contents of the clipboard are “I love foo bar”. Running the command pbpaste | grep foo will output “I love foo bar” because the pattern “foo” is present in the clipboard contents.

Conclusion:

The pbpaste command in macOS is a handy tool for working with the clipboard. It allows you to directly retrieve and manipulate the clipboard contents from the command line. The examples provided in this article demonstrate how to write the clipboard contents to a file and use the clipboard contents as input to another command.