How to copy text to clipboard in Firefox 3.5?

Question

How can you copy text to clipboard using Javascript (or even nicer a jQuery function) without involving Flash?

I don't care about IE and other browsers; Firefox 3.5 is the only browser that matters changing local FF settings is OK.

Edit: Sorry for being unclear, I did try out the first 30 methods I found via Google; none of them worked for me.

Answer 1

You will find there are many information if you google it. eg: http://www.dynamic-tools.net/toolbox/copyToClipboard/ http://www.geekpedia.com/tutorial126_Clipboard-cut-copy-and-paste-with-JavaScript.html

Answer 2

A simple Google search resulted in:

• Enabling Javascript copy-to-clipboard
• MDC: Using the Clipboard

Answer 3

By default, the access to the clipboard by firefox is disabled for security reasons. You can edit the setting in firefox to allow it:

In the firefox address bar, type in: "about:config" (no quotes), and hit enter.

In the "filter" box you now see, type in the word "signed", and you should only have one result coming up. It's set to DISABLED. Double-click it, and it should change to ENABLED. Close the window. From then on, firefox will warn you when a website tries to access your clipboard, and you can tell it to "always allow this site...."

Answer 4

Now that the problem is solved, I want to add some made-up JavaScript.

1. Configure Firefox as described in the accepted answer.

2. Use something like this (copied from the Mozilla resource):

   function copyToClipboard(text) {

   // ask for permission to access clipboard

   try { netscape.security.PrivilegeManager.enablePrivilege("UniversalXPConnect"); } catch(e) { alert("Clipboard copying is not allowed. Set signed.applets.codebase_principal_support to 'true' in Mozilla Firefox."); return false; }

   // make a copy of the Unicode

   var str = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/supports-string;1"].createInstance(Components.interfaces.nsISupportsString); if (!str) return false; // couldn't get string obj str.data = text; // unicode string?

   // add Unicode & HTML flavors to the transferable widget

   var trans = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/widget/transferable;1"].createInstance(Components.interfaces.nsITransferable); if (!trans) return false; //no transferable widget found

   trans.addDataFlavor("text/unicode"); trans.setTransferData("text/unicode", str, text.length * 2); // *2 because it's unicode

   // copy the transferable widget!

   var clipboard = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/widget/clipboard;1"].getService(Components.interfaces.nsIClipboard); if (!clipboard) return false; // couldn't get the clipboard

   clipboard.setData(trans, null, Components.interfaces.nsIClipboard.kGlobalClipboard); return true;

   }