DataFormats Class
Provides static, predefined Clipboard format names. Use them to identify the format of data that you store in an IDataObject.
Assembly: System.Windows.Forms (in System.Windows.Forms.dll)
The DataFormats type exposes the following members.
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
![]() | Equals(Object) | Determines whether the specified Object is equal to the current Object. (Inherited from Object.) |
![]() | Finalize | Allows an object to try to free resources and perform other cleanup operations before it is reclaimed by garbage collection. (Inherited from Object.) |
![]() ![]() | GetFormat(Int32) | Returns a DataFormats::Format with the Windows Clipboard numeric ID and name for the specified ID. |
![]() ![]() | GetFormat(String) | Returns a DataFormats::Format with the Windows Clipboard numeric ID and name for the specified format. |
![]() | GetHashCode | Serves as a hash function for a particular type. (Inherited from Object.) |
![]() | GetType | Gets the Type of the current instance. (Inherited from Object.) |
![]() | MemberwiseClone | Creates a shallow copy of the current Object. (Inherited from Object.) |
![]() | ToString | Returns a string that represents the current object. (Inherited from Object.) |
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
![]() ![]() | Bitmap | Specifies a Windows bitmap format. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | CommaSeparatedValue | Specifies a comma-separated value (CSV) format, which is a common interchange format used by spreadsheets. This format is not used directly by Windows Forms. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | Dib | Specifies the Windows device-independent bitmap (DIB) format. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | Dif | Specifies the Windows Data Interchange Format (DIF), which Windows Forms does not directly use. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | EnhancedMetafile | Specifies the Windows enhanced metafile format. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | FileDrop | Specifies the Windows file drop format, which Windows Forms does not directly use. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | Html | Specifies text in the HTML Clipboard format. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | Locale | Specifies the Windows culture format, which Windows Forms does not directly use. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | MetafilePict | Specifies the Windows metafile format, which Windows Forms does not directly use. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | OemText | Specifies the standard Windows original equipment manufacturer (OEM) text format. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | Palette | Specifies the Windows palette format. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | PenData | Specifies the Windows pen data format, which consists of pen strokes for handwriting software; Windows Forms does not use this format. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | Riff | Specifies the Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) audio format, which Windows Forms does not directly use. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | Rtf | Specifies text consisting of Rich Text Format (RTF) data. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | Serializable | Specifies a format that encapsulates any type of Windows Forms object. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | StringFormat | Specifies the Windows Forms string class format, which Windows Forms uses to store string objects. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | SymbolicLink | Specifies the Windows symbolic link format, which Windows Forms does not directly use. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | Text | Specifies the standard ANSI text format. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | Tiff | Specifies the Tagged Image File Format (TIFF), which Windows Forms does not directly use. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | UnicodeText | Specifies the standard Windows Unicode text format. This static field is read-only. |
![]() ![]() | WaveAudio | Specifies the wave audio format, which Windows Forms does not directly use. This static field is read-only. |
The IDataObject and DataObject classes also use the static format list to determine the type of data that is retrieved from the system Clipboard, or that is transferred in a drag-and-drop operation.
The GetFormat method allows you to:
Get a predefined DataFormats::Format object for a format name or ID number.
Add a new format name/ID number pair to the static list in this class, and to register the format with the Windows registry as a Clipboard format when you pass it the format name.
You can get the Id number or format Name from the appropriate property in the DataFormats::Format instance.
The following code example creates a new data format named myFormat. The code then creates a MyNewObject which it stores in a DataObject. The DataObject is copied to the Clipboard.
Next, the DataObject is retrieved from the Clipboard and the MyNewObject is recovered. The value of the MyNewObject is printed in a text box. This code requires that textBox1 has been created and placed on a form.
#using <System.dll> #using <System.Drawing.dll> #using <System.Windows.Forms.dll> using namespace System; using namespace System::Windows::Forms; // Creates a new type. [Serializable] public ref class MyNewObject: public Object { private: String^ myValue; public: // Creates a default constructor for the class. MyNewObject() { myValue = "This is the value of the class"; } property String^ MyObjectValue { // Creates a property to retrieve or set the value. String^ get() { return myValue; } void set( String^ value ) { myValue = value; } } }; public ref class MyClass: public Form { protected: TextBox^ textBox1; public: void MyClipboardMethod() { // Creates a new data format. DataFormats::Format^ myFormat = DataFormats::GetFormat( "myFormat" ); /* Creates a new object and stores it in a DataObject using myFormat * as the type of format. */ MyNewObject^ myObject = gcnew MyNewObject; DataObject^ myDataObject = gcnew DataObject( myFormat->Name,myObject ); // Copies myObject into the clipboard. Clipboard::SetDataObject( myDataObject ); // Performs some processing steps. // Retrieves the data from the clipboard. IDataObject^ myRetrievedObject = Clipboard::GetDataObject(); // Converts the IDataObject type to MyNewObject type. MyNewObject^ myDereferencedObject = dynamic_cast<MyNewObject^>(myRetrievedObject->GetData( myFormat->Name )); // Prints the value of the Object in a textBox. textBox1->Text = myDereferencedObject->MyObjectValue; } };
Windows 7, Windows Vista SP1 or later, Windows XP SP3, Windows XP SP2 x64 Edition, Windows Server 2008 (Server Core not supported), Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Core supported with SP1 or later), Windows Server 2003 SP2
The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.
