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)
| 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 the default hash function. (Inherited from Object.) |
![]() | GetType() | |
![]() | MemberwiseClone() | |
![]() | 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; } };
Available since 1.1
Any public static ( Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.



