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 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.
Option Explicit Option Strict Imports System Imports System.Windows.Forms Public Class MyClass1 Inherits Form Private textBox1 As TextBox Public Sub MyClipboardMethod() ' Creates a new data format. Dim myFormat As DataFormats.Format = _ DataFormats.GetFormat("myFormat") ' Creates a new object and store it in a DataObject using myFormat ' as the type of format. Dim myObject As New MyNewObject() Dim myDataObject As New DataObject(myFormat.Name, myObject) ' Copies myObject into the clipboard. Clipboard.SetDataObject(myDataObject) ' Performs some processing steps. ' Retrieves the data from the clipboard. Dim myRetrievedObject As IDataObject = Clipboard.GetDataObject() ' Converts the IDataObject type to MyNewObject type. Dim myDereferencedObject As MyNewObject = _ CType(myRetrievedObject.GetData(myFormat.Name), MyNewObject) ' Print the value of the Object in a textBox. textBox1.Text = myDereferencedObject.MyObjectValue End Sub 'MyClipboardMethod End Class 'MyClass ' Creates a new type. <Serializable()> Public Class MyNewObject Inherits Object Private myValue As String ' Creates a default constructor for the class. Public Sub New() myValue = "This is the value of the class" End Sub 'New ' Creates a property to retrieve or set the value. Public Property MyObjectValue() As String Get Return myValue End Get Set myValue = value End Set End Property End Class 'MyNewObject
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The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.