Click here

clipboard

A special file or memory area (buffer) where data is stored temporarily before being copied to another location. Many word processors, for example, use a clipboard for cutting and pasting. When you cut a block of text, the word processor copies the block to the clipboard; when you paste the block, the word processor copies it from the clipboard to its final destination. In Microsoft Windows and the Apple Macintosh operating system, the Clipboard (with a capital C) can be used to copy data from one application to another.

The Macintosh uses two types of clipboards. The one it calls the Clipboard can hold only one item at a time and is flushed when you turn the computer off. The other, called the Scrapbook, can hold several items at once and retains its contents from one working session to another.



Top Terms

Connect with Webopedia

  • The Difference Between Adware & Spyware

    Not technically fitting into either the virus or spam category we have spyware and adware, which are growing concerns for Internet users.

    Read More »

Did You Know? Archive »

  • Quick Reference Archive »