Just Starting Out & Want to Learn How to Use Clipboards & Variables

Questions & Suggestions
1

The Wiki is a little confusing to me (I don't have any programming background) and I probably learn best from watching a video tutorial (but open to articles as well). Does anyone have any links to beginners guides on Variables and/or Clipboards?

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Welcome!

There are definitely YouTube videos out there under "keyboard maestro youtube variables" and "keyboard maestro youtube clipboard" but they're not all "beginner" per say.

At the same time, I don't think you need it. Try to focus on what you want to accomplish. You can do almost anything in KM on a computer that a human can do! I know that doesn't really narrow the scope... Maybe watch some of those videos and try to imagine what you'd like to do that's similar.

If you're having a hard time coming up with ideas - start with things you do all the time that are annoying or manually intensive.

You can post your ideas here and many people will try to help.

With more specifics, others can help point you in the right direction, and many people will go in great detail if you let us know you need it. It's a great community.

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Hey @lammers01,

There is only one clipboard on the Mac, and it is the single gate that controls data to be copied or pasted.

Keyboard Maestro's named clipboards are pseudo clipboards that can hold same data the system-clipboard can hold.

You have to copy from the system-clipboard to a named-clipboard to store it, and you have to copy from a named-clipboard to the system-clipboard to paste it again.

Although the Copy to Named Clipboard and Paste from Named Clipboard actions do most of the work for you.

Variables by contrast are always plain-text and are easier to work with than named clipboards when plain-text is appropriate.

Reading material:

This is probably the most complete Keyboard Maestro how to guide:

$49.00 US for the full course.

But there are a multitude of free vids available on YouTube.

-Chris

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In your case, Iā€™d create a thread about a specific thing you want to automate.
Keyboard maestro can do many things, so by being specific about your needs can help create a better solution that fits into your workflow.
And start little by little, and steal as much as you can!

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