Copying Image to clipboard

Question

I would like to copy graphics (e.g. plot or table) in the application to the SystemClipboard. The goal is to be able to transfer this image to the other application.
It is rathewr simple to copy text, however it is not clear how to copy graphics.
Anybody has experience?
Code snippet would be helpful
Thank you.
Leo

Answer 1

If you have access to JDK 1.4, you can use java.awt.Robot quite simply with the predefined imageFlavor. Before that, I don't know how to get the system to recognize the Image flavor really...anyone?
Here is an example how with 1.4:
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.awt.image.*;
import java.awt.datatransfer.*;
public class MySystemClipboard extends Frame implements ActionListener,
ClipboardOwner
    private Button myButton;
    private Clipboard myClipboard;
    private PrettyPicture myPicture;
    public MySystemClipboard()
        add(myButton = new Button("Klipp"), BorderLayout.SOUTH);
        add(myPicture = new PrettyPicture(), BorderLayout.CENTER);
        myButton.addActionListener(this);       
        myClipboard = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getSystemClipboard();
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent anEvent)
        try
            ClipImage ci = new ClipImage(new Robot().createScreenCapture(getBounds()));              
            myClipboard.setContents(ci, this);
        catch (AWTException ae){}
    public void lostOwnership(Clipboard clipboard, Transferable contents) 
    private class ClipImage implements Transferable
        private DataFlavor[] myFlavors;               
        private BufferedImage myImage;
        public ClipImage(BufferedImage theImage)
            myFlavors = new DataFlavor[]{DataFlavor.imageFlavor};
            myImage = theImage;
        public Object getTransferData(DataFlavor flavor) throws UnsupportedFlavorException
            if (flavor != DataFlavor.imageFlavor)
                throw new UnsupportedFlavorException(flavor);
            return myImage;
        public  DataFlavor[] getTransferDataFlavors()
            return myFlavors;
        public boolean isDataFlavorSupported(DataFlavor flavor)
            return (flavor == DataFlavor.imageFlavor);
    private class PrettyPicture extends Panel
        public PrettyPicture()
            setBackground(Color.blue);
            add(new Button("Moo"), BorderLayout.NORTH);
            add(new Button("Boo"), BorderLayout.CENTER);
            add(new Button("Roo"), BorderLayout.SOUTH);
    public static void main(String[] args)
        MySystemClipboard cb = new MySystemClipboard();
        cb.setBounds(200,200,200,200);
        cb.setVisible(true);
}This works for me with JDK1.4 in Windows NT, using Word to verify the clipboard contents (pasting in pictures). This does not work in previous versions, since DataFlavor.imageFlavor didn't exist then. I don't know of any equivalent substtitute.
You can easily change the bounds of the picture to catch, as well as the actual contents of it
HTH,
Fredrik