Copying and Pasting Text with Reflection X 14.x or Reflection X Advantage

This technical note describes copy and paste techniques for X client applications and Windows applications. Troubleshooting tips are included.

Note: Some features and issues (that specifically reference Reflection X) do not apply to Reflection X Advantage.

Copying Text to the Clipboard

You can copy text from an X application or a Microsoft Windows application.

Copying Text from an X Application

To copy text in an X application window, use one of the following methods, depending on the application:

• Select (highlight) the text by clicking the left mouse button and dragging the mouse. After the mouse button is released, the data may remain selected (as in xterm) or may no longer be highlighted (as in aixterm). The selected text is automatically copied.
• Select text and use the application’s Edit Copy menu item or command (if available).
• Select text and use the Copy Selection feature in the Reflection X control menu.
• In dterm, select text and press Ctrl+Insert keys.
• In Sun textedit, select text and press Alt+C.
• In Sun cmdtool or textedit, select text and press a keystroke you previously custom-mapped (in Reflection X keyboard remapping) to the “copy” function key on the left side of the Sun host keyboard.

Copying Text from a Windows Application

To copy text in a Windows application to the clipboard, after selecting (highlighting) text, use one of the following methods, depending on the application:

• Click Edit > Copy.
• Right-click > Copy.
• Press Ctrl+C keys.
• Press Ctrl+Insert keys.

Pasting Text from the Clipboard

You can paste the copied text into an X application or a Microsoft Windows application.

Pasting Text into an X Application

To paste clipboard text into the active X application window, position the text cursor to the desired insertion point and do one of the following, depending on the application (and your mouse hardware):

• Press the middle mouse button (or mouse wheel). For information on configuring your mouse, see KB 7021813.
• Press the left and right mouse buttons simultaneously, if Reflection X middle mouse button emulation is enabled. See also KB 7021813.
• Use the application’s Edit Paste menu item or command (if available).
• In dterm, press Shift+Insert.
• In Sun textedit, press Alt+V.
• In Sun cmdtool or textedit, select text and press a keystroke you previously custom-mapped (in Reflection X keyboard remapping) to the “paste” function key on the left side of the Sun host keyboard.

If none of the above methods work, see Problems Copying and Pasting below.

Pasting Text into a Windows Application

To paste clipboard text into a Windows application, use one of the following methods, depending on the application:

• Click Edit > Paste.
• Right-click > Paste.
• Press Ctrl+V keys.
• Press Shift+Insert keys

Problems Copying and Pasting

If you have problems using copy and paste functionality, review the known issues below.

• If you are using Reflection X and have intermittent problems pasting into X windows, the issue may be resolved in a service pack. Specifically, you may be able to paste into an X application immediately after Reflection X and the X application have started, but not after another X application has closed.

• If your X application supports paste with the middle mouse button, but this functionality is not working as expected on your Windows system, see KB 7021813.

When troubleshooting, to determine if text is copied to the Windows clipboard, run the ClipBook Viewer (C:\Windows\System32\clipbrd.exe).

Understanding Clipboard Differences

Microsoft Windows uses a single clipboard to handle copying and pasting between applications. The X Window System allows X client applications to use one or more clipboard-like storage areas for selections. The default Reflection X Clipboard Settings automatically link the X selection to the Windows Clipboard.

Although some X clients may use different selections or cut buffers, you can copy text only from one X client at a time.

Legacy KB ID

This document was originally published as Attachmate Technical Note 2365.