                 CLIPBD -- A Clipboard Viewing Utility
                           for OS/2 1.1 SE

                             by Dan Higdon
                        hdan@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu

                      Baked/2 Software Development

            Copyright (c) 1990, all rights reserved by Author


DESCRIPTION:

    This is a simple program originally created to help me debug applications
that use the PM Clipboard.  As both Microsoft Windows and the Apple Macintosh
have facilities that allow the user to view the contents of the clipboard,
I decided that the PM user should have the same capability!  Unlike its
counterparts, this program realizes that data can appear on the clipboard
in multiple formats.  Consequently, CLIPBD displays a list of all available
formats and allows the user to select which format to use.  Currently,
however, the only formats that are supported are the TEXT, BITMAP, and
METAFILE formats.  Any other format is displayed as "Unable to render."

KNOWN BUGS:

    Currently, CLIPBD seems pretty solid.  However, if it starts to generate
protection faults, then the clipboard has become corrupt.  This is not a
dangerous condition, and OS/2's protected-mode will keep the rest of your
system from being affected, but you will not be able to restart CLIPBD
until you put new data onto the clipboard.
Alternately, you can start CLIPBD with the following command:

START CLIPBD -C

This option will clear the clipboard when CLIPBD starts.  You may clear the
clipboard at any time by choosing the Empty Clipboard menu item of CLIPBD,
or pressing the DEL key.

    I have not been able to test this on os/2 1.2, but it should still
work.  Naturally, you will not be able to use the long HPFS names.

    If you have other problems, try to isolate the incident, and mail
a report to me (preferably on the INTERNET).

FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS:

    PM supports a special feature by which programs placing data onto the
clipboard can offer to draw them when neccessary.  The next release of CLIPBD
will support this "owner drawn" method, thus theoreticaly allowing CLIPBD
to render data from any "polite" program.

    Also in the works is a program to completely replace CLIPBD and its
sister program SCRAP.  It will combine the features of both programs,
providing an easier and more logical interface between them.

(Look for SCRAP on a PD board/ binaries group near you!)
