1.3.1.2 Clipboard Format

All data copied to a system clipboard has to conform to a format specification, known as a Clipboard Format. Each Clipboard Format is identified by a unique numeric format ID. This format ID is used to tag the data on the clipboard so that any application enumerating the contents of the clipboard is able to determine the format of the data without having to extract and analyze it.

A textual name can also be associated with each Clipboard Format. This format name is required when the Clipboard Format ID that identifies the format is not constant across computer systems. For example, the Clipboard Format name for "XYZ Drawing Image" can be identified by the Clipboard Format ID "0x1234" on one system, but "0x4321" on another.

Some formats can be implicit to an operating system and hence be represented by a hard-coded numeric Clipboard Format ID that is constant across all computers running that operating system. In this case, a Clipboard Format name is not required because the well-known Clipboard Format ID can always be used to uniquely identify the type.

It is the responsibility of the operating system to assign unique Clipboard Format IDs and to manage the associated Clipboard Format names of data that can be placed on the system clipboard.

Within the context of the Remote Desktop Protocol: Clipboard Virtual Channel Extension, the Palette (section 1.3.1.1.2) and Metafile (section 1.3.1.1.3) format types use the following hard-coded Clipboard Format IDs.

When referring to palette or metafile data within the context of the Remote Desktop Protocol: Clipboard Virtual Channel Extension PDUs, these Clipboard Format IDs are always used.

Within the context of the Remote Desktop Protocol: Clipboard Virtual Channel Extension, the File List format type uses the following hard-coded Clipboard Format name.

When referring to File List data within the context of the Remote Desktop Protocol: Clipboard Virtual Channel Extension PDUs, this Clipboard Format name is always used.