The Clipboard

The computer has a thing called the "Clipboard." This is a memory area. You can save things to this memory, and then take them out again. This can be done with three very important commands:

• CUT (CONTROL-X)
• COPY (CONTROL-C)
• PASTE (CONTROL-V)

CUT and COPY will save what you selected in the Clipboard. PASTE will take it out of the clipboard and put it in a new place.

Almost anything can be saved or pasted with these commands. If you can select something, then you can probably cut, copy and paste it. This includes icons (files and folders), text, pictures, and so on.

Here's how the three commands work:

• CUT will save your selection on the clipboard, and erase the original. This is useful when you want to move something from one place to another.
• COPY will save your selection to the Clipboard, but it will not erase the original. This is useful when you want to make extra copies of something in a new place.
• PASTE will take something that you cut or copied, and put it into the new place. You can PASTE something as many times as you like.

After CUT or COPY, the thing you saved will stay on the clipboard as long as the computer is on. It will only disappear when you turn off the computer, or when you CUT or COPY a new thing into the Clipboard. The Clipboard can usually only remember ONE THING at a time (although some applications add extra clipboard spaces which you can use).