What are the pros and cons of converting from Launchbar to KBM clipboard and searching for a reference on how to design and build a KBM clipboard?

Hello, I am currently using the Launchbar clipboard.

What would be the pros (additional functionality) and cons if I migrate to a KBM based clipboard ?

Some functions which are essential in my workflow would be:

  • edit clippings
  • merge and paste
  • paste and match style
  • search through clippings

There are multiple KBM clipboard actions. Is there a reference which would help me design and build a KBM clipboard system ?

thanks very much for your time and help

Hey @ronald,

I use both.

I always start with LaunchBar's clipboard history and then if I can't find what I'm looking for I switch to Keyboard Maestro's clipboard history.

I primarily use Keyboard Maestro's Activate Clipboard History Switcher.

I rarely use named clipboards, so I don't often use the Activate Named Clipboard Switcher action.

You can adjust the number of history items Keyboard Maestro keeps with an expert preference.

Other Hidden Preferences

-Chris

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Hello CC, thank you for posting an answer to my question.

I find Launchbar insufficient. Before I plunge into KBM, would you know if I will be able to do the following:
edit clippings
merge and paste
paste and match style

Do you have experience or suggestions concerning the Alfred clipboard manager?

I find it frustrating to waste so much time on finding something as basic as a clipboard manager which can do the above.

thanks again

No.

Most Clipboard Managers don't allow editing clippings.

You might look at CopyPaste Pro.

LaunchBar does this – select multiple items and hit Cmd-C – then paste.

Keyboard Maestro also does this.

No clipboard manager can do this – it's up to individual software to implement that feature.

Nyet.

-Chris

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AFAIK, KM does not provide any direct, native feature in the Clipboard History Switcher to perform those actions. However, it would be fairly easy to write a KM Macro that does each, except for #1. KM does not provide a built-in editor.

  1. edit clippings
    • Write KM macro to paste to new document in another app, like TextEdit, where you can make the changes and copy to clipboard.
  2. merge and paste
    • Simply use the Insert Text by Pasting action
      image
    • The biggest thing missing here is that there is no (easy) way to show the Clipboard History and allow the user to select which Clipboards to use. (@peternlewis: this would be a very handy feature for the Clipboard History Switcher :wink: )
      .
  3. paste and match style
    • KM does not offer this as part of the Clipboard History Switcher
    • But most rich text apps have this as a menu item, so just use this KM Action:
      image

Like Chris @ccstone, I use both LB and KM clipboard managers. Each have their advantages.
The big advantage with KM, of course, is that you can always write your own Macro to use the clipboard history, like I did here:
MACRO: Paste In Order Copied

For more info, see Clipboard History Switcher (which is really a Clipboard Manager)

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thank you very much Chris, and thank you for the tip about merge and paste with Launchbar.
I bought copypaste pro back in 2010, and will have another look. They are recommended by TidBITS.
I think that I never got over the old PasteMaster which was superb and now seems buggy.
thanks again

Chris, how do you do this in KM?
When I open the Clipboard History Switcher, and select multiple clipboards, it does NOT allow me to copy them. If I paste, it pastes all of them on the same line (not what I would usually want).

thank you

Hey JM,

That's how you do it, but I agree it's less than optimal.

Hey @peternlewis,

Please add an expert preference allowing the user to choose a separator for merged clipboard-history-pastes.

I can't think of any situation where I'd want a linear paste rather than a LF (or LFLF) separated paste.

-Chris

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a very good suggestion. Other clipboard apps like Pastermaster offer a user defined separator, and so does Yoink

just to stay within KBM, it there any way to:

  • display a textbox as per below, but with the ability to edit
  • follow the textbox action by a wait for keystroke to give the user time to edit (which I know how to do)
  • pass on the edited text to the clipboard

thanks !

image

Hey @ronald,

It can be done, although the method is a bit crude.

Keyboard Maestro doesn't have an adjustable sized, editable user prompt (afaik), so the fall-back is AppleScript.

Edit the Clipboard.kmmacros (4.4 KB)

The prompt is crude, but you can do all kinds of things to customize how the text is procured and how it's processed afterward.

-Chris

You could use the KM Custom HTML Prompt action to do this.

your macro is superb, but too complex for me.
thank you

Yes it does, paste with the Shift key will paste plain text (see the Clipboard History Switcher user manual section).

Perhaps Paste as Plain Text will work the same as Paste & Match Style in many/most cases, but I'm not sure it will in all cases. In Evernote there was a change several years ago from Paste as Plain Text to Paste & Match Style and many users reported a significant difference.

IAC, since most rich text apps offer a Paste & Match Style, it is my preferred method.

It is just an example of what can be done in KM. You might be able to do the same thing in LB in a custom action, but I think it would be more difficult.

If you have questions about my macro, feel free to ask (on the macro topic).

@peternlewis

I second the suggestion by @ccstone @JMichaelTX. I am now using the KBM clipboard, often paste multiple clips and end up with a jumble of clips in succession.
Some kind of user defined separator seems essential in terms of workflow.
At the least a new line.
thank you

if I select multiple clips in the Clipboard History Switcher, and then want to paste them all, I can right click on the Clipboard History Switcher and paste as per image below. Would you know if there are any shortcuts to do so ?
thank you

image

Return & Shift-Return.

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