318) How does the clipboard mechanism work?

[Last modified: Dec 94]

A.  Doug Rand <drand@sgi.com> writes:

Basically there are two selections CLIPBOARD_MANAGER and CLIPBOARD which are
used.  The Motif clipboard is not a clipboard manager, but xclipboard,  or a
more functional clipboard client would be.  The newest ICCCM (2.0) spells this
out.

The basic process is that the clipboard manager:

1) Check to see if CLIPBOARD_MANAGER is owned by anyone,  abort if it is.

2) Assert ownership of CLIPBOARD_MANAGER and CLIPBOARD

3) When the CLIPBOARD selection is lost,  query new owner for data and then
retake ownership of CLIPBOARD

#3 is done until the application exists.  What you do with the data is up to
the application.