Import Clipboard

The Import Clipboard option is one of the special import options included in the Import Special menu list in the File menu. This option is also available in the main toolbar.

Columnar vs. Matrix Format

This option is used only for columns of numeric data. You must use the Import Clipboard Matrix option when the clipboard contains XYZ data in a matrix format.

Adding Clipboard Contents to Notebook

To make it possible to process multiple XYZ sets from a single clipboard operation, TableCurve Studio first saves the contents of the clipboard to a disk file. This file is then automatically added to the current notebook. The XYZ data sets are then specified in the same manner as would follow the manual addition of a data source using the Import Data Source option.

Clipboard text should consist of numeric columnar ASCII text or a block copied from Excel, SigmaPlot, Lotus, SPSS, or any application offering spreadsheet type data management.

Depending on the format available in the clipboard, the file format saved to disk will either be ASCII (with a PRN default extension), or a spreadsheet in a WK1 or WK3 format.

Specifying XYZ Data Sets

Once the clipboard data has been added to the notebook as a data source, both the fully automated Autospecify All XYZ Data Items and the individual Specify XYZ Data Item options are available.

For 2D (XY) Data

TableCurve 2D does not offer a Paste option on its Edit menu, since the columns of interest are often non-adjacent in the source; Import Clipboard is the way to select from all the columns on the clipboard. A spreadsheet block needs at least two columns: select an X and a Y column, and optionally a weights column. Two numeric ASCII columns are read automatically as X and Y. A single numeric ASCII column is read as Y values, generating X automatically from an initial X value and an X increment that you enter.