DataFormats Class

Reference

Definition

Namespace:: System.Windows.Forms

Assembly:: System.Windows.Forms.dll

Source:: DataFormats.cs

Source:: DataFormats.cs

Source:: DataFormats.cs

Important

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Provides static, predefined Clipboard format names. Use them to identify the format of data that you store in an IDataObject.

public ref class DataFormats

public ref class DataFormats abstract sealed

public class DataFormats

public static class DataFormats

type DataFormats = class

Public Class DataFormats

Inheritance: Object
DataFormats

Examples

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;
   }

};

using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;

public class MyClass : 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 = new MyNewObject();
       DataObject myDataObject = new 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 = (MyNewObject)myRetrievedObject.GetData(myFormat.Name);
 
       // Prints the value of the Object in a textBox.
       textBox1.Text = myDereferencedObject.MyObjectValue;
    }
 }
 
 // Creates a new type.
 [Serializable]
 public class MyNewObject : Object {
    private string myValue;
 
    // Creates a default constructor for the class.
    public MyNewObject() {
       myValue = "This is the value of the class";
    }
 
    // Creates a property to retrieve or set the value.
    public string MyObjectValue {
       get {
          return myValue;
       }
       set {
          myValue = value;
       }
    }
 }

Option Explicit
Option Strict

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
End Class


' 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
    
    ' 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

Remarks

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.

Fields

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.

Methods

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.

Applies to

Product	Versions
.NET Framework	1.1, 2.0, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.6, 4.6.1, 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.8, 4.8.1
Windows Desktop	3.0, 3.1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

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