Copy As Text

scottalanmiller

I'm on Windows and I copy/paste all of the time. Who doesn't? But often I keep Notepad open and copy to it then copy/paste again to strip out the garbage that often comes with copying things so that I can paste plain text.

Is there a way to do this on Windows without needing to use Notepad? Is there a secret trick or key combination or something that allows for "copy as plain text" rather than copying all of the formatting and style with something?

Dashrender

I'm in the same boat - I'm wondering if the new command line in Windows 10 is going to be giving us this?

When you paste in Word, you get several options one of which will strip out the formatting.

scottalanmiller

I want the option at "copy time" so that I can get plain text for whatever target I am going to. For me a big one is web. If I am pasting into a wiki or a blog or a forum, I don't want extra cruft coming along.

Dashrender

Believe me I do understand - like you I use notepad for that same reason.

MattSpeller

Control - shift - V
In chrome it pastes into the search/address bar as plain unformatted text
There are apps for it too I think, just found this:
http://www.stevemiller.net/puretext/

thanksajdotcom

I know in Word when you paste, you can paste and merge the formatting, so it strips all original formatting and puts it into the document the same as what's already there. Most places I copy/paste kind of do that automatically. Copy a link and paste it into Chrome? Formatting isn't an issue. Copy a command from Chrome for Powershell or the cmd pompt? Formatting isn't an issue. So the only time I can think of when this is an issue is when you paste INTO something like Outlook or Word, and that has the special paste options that fix that.

nadnerB

I think that it's dependant on the destination as to the paste options.
I'm yet to see a "Copy text only" option in Windows.

I would really like to see one though. It would cut out the middle man, so to speak.

Carnival Boy

Which blogs and forums don't paste as plain text? I'm sure all the ones I use do.

scottalanmiller

@Carnival-Boy said:

Which blogs and forums don't paste as plain text? I'm sure all the ones I use do.

WordPress accepts full style.

technobabble

@scottalanmiller said:

@Carnival-Boy said:

Which blogs and forums don't paste as plain text? I'm sure all the ones I use do.

WordPress accepts full style.

WP since 3.0 has always had the paste as text option. You might have to click unhide kitchen sink, if I remember correctly.