Implement clipboard readText

[AntoineTurmel]

Ability to retrieve clipboard content using GM.getClipboard

Available in most of browsers, see: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Clipboard/readText

[7nik]

But you already can do it

navigator.clipboard.readText().then(console.log)

But the document must be focused on this moment (you can use GM.notification({ highlight: true }); to focus the tab), and the user must provide permission for reading the clipboard for every site where the clipboard is read.

[AntoineTurmel]

$( window ).scroll(function() {

    GM.notification({ highlight: true });
    navigator.clipboard.readText().then(console.log);
}

I have : Uncaught TypeError: GM.notification is not a function and without GM.notification I have : Uncaught TypeError: navigator.clipboard.readText is not a function

[7nik]

Works for me:

// ==UserScript==
// @name         New Userscript
// @namespace    http://tampermonkey.net/
// @version      0.1
// @description  try to take over the world!
// @author       You
// @match        *
// ==/UserScript==

window.addEventListener("scroll", () => navigator.clipboard.readText().then(console.log));

What is your environment? (OS, browser, etc)

[AntoineTurmel]

ok so I added @grant GMnotification and replaced GM. by GM for clipboard.readText, an additional permission must be set for Firefox in manifest.json: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/manifest.json/optional_permissions clipboardRead

@7nik Firefox 100/Ubuntu/LInux

[7nik]

Clipboard API for web extensions is deprecated and replaced by Clipboard API for all websites (which is used in the code above) so you don't need this permission.

[7nik]

https://caniuse.com/mdn-api_clipboard_readtext

Firefox only supports reading the clipboard in browser extensions, using the "clipboardRead" extension permission.

Meh, FF still lives in the past century and is oversecured :(

[nk9]

I'm running into this on FF as well. How does one add the additional permission to manifest.json in a Tampermonkey Userscript? I'm not packaging or distributing anything, and I don't see a place to add the manifest, so I'm not able to interact with the clipboard.

[derjanb]

How does one add the additional permission to manifest.json in a Tampermonkey Userscript?

Permissions in manifest.json are set when the extensions is bundled/created.

What is your use case for reading the clipboard?

[ernstki]

Meh, FF still lives in the past century and is oversecured :(

When your password manager uses the clipboard for data transfer, or you copy-paste secrets frequently, you become sensitive to these things. I for one don't want random websites being able to read clipboard data, so I actually kind of appreciate Mozilla dragging their heels on this API.

@derjanb The current use case I have is to enumerate page elements and copy some JSON to the clipboard. It's in the context of some infrequent web administration tasks where I don't feel the need to use a more heavyweight solution like Selenium. Edit: Oops, it appears what I was trying to do is already possible with GM_setClipboard. Never mind!