[GH-ISSUE #577] [Feature Request] Multi-select clipboard items with keyboard navigation (macOS) #388

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opened 2026-03-03 01:12:07 +03:00 by kerem · 0 comments

kerem commented

2026-03-03 01:12:07 +03:00

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Originally created by @JoeyBream on GitHub (Jan 1, 2026).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/Clipy/Clipy/issues/577

Feature Description

Add the ability to select multiple clipboard items using keyboard shortcuts and copy them all at once.

Note: This feature request is specific to macOS. Windows/Linux clipboard behavior may differ and would need separate consideration.

Current Behavior

The current clipboard history menu shows items in a simple dropdown:

Limitations:

Can only select one clipboard item at a time
Must paste items individually
No keyboard-based multi-selection
No way to combine multiple clipboard entries

Proposed Behavior

Keyboard Navigation (macOS-style):

↑/↓ - Navigate between items
Shift + ↑/↓ - Multi-select items (extend selection like Excel/Finder)
Cmd+C - Copy all selected items (concatenated with newlines)
Enter - Paste first selected item
Esc - Close popup

Example Workflow:

Press Cmd+Shift+V to open clipboard history
Use ↓ to navigate to first desired item
Hold Shift and press ↓ three times to select 4 items
Press Cmd+C to copy all selected items as one combined block
Paste into target application with standard Cmd+V

Use Cases

Writing/Documentation:

Collect code snippets from different sources
Combine multiple text fragments into one document
Merge bullet points from various locations

Development:

Collect multiple log entries for debugging
Combine error messages from different runs
Merge configuration values

Data Entry:

Combine multiple copied values into spreadsheet
Aggregate information from various sources

Benefits

Power user workflow - Purely keyboard-driven, no mouse needed
Familiar UX - Uses standard macOS multi-select patterns (Shift+arrows)
Time savings - Avoid manual copy-paste loops
Native feel - Behaves like Finder/Excel/other Mac apps

Technical Considerations (macOS)

Would require replacing current NSMenu with custom NSPanel + NSTableView
NSTableView has built-in multi-select support on macOS
Need to handle keyboard events for Shift modifier detection
Window should feel native to macOS (blur effects, rounded corners)

Platform Notes

This proposal focuses on macOS because:

macOS has consistent Shift-based multi-select patterns
Windows clipboard managers may use different conventions (Ctrl instead of Cmd)
Platform-specific UI components (NSTableView vs Win32 controls)

Interest Level: If there's interest in this feature, I might get round to implementing it eventually.

Would this be a useful addition to Clipy? 🎯

Originally created by @JoeyBream on GitHub (Jan 1, 2026). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/Clipy/Clipy/issues/577 ## Feature Description Add the ability to select multiple clipboard items using keyboard shortcuts and copy them all at once. **Note:** This feature request is specific to **macOS**. Windows/Linux clipboard behavior may differ and would need separate consideration. ## Current Behavior The current clipboard history menu shows items in a simple dropdown: <img width="359" height="205" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8d5d14dc-e60f-41be-a05a-2da7c2cf8281" /> **Limitations:** - Can only select one clipboard item at a time - Must paste items individually - No keyboard-based multi-selection - No way to combine multiple clipboard entries ## Proposed Behavior **Keyboard Navigation (macOS-style):** - `↑/↓` - Navigate between items - `Shift + ↑/↓` - **Multi-select items** (extend selection like Excel/Finder) - `Cmd+C` - Copy all selected items (concatenated with newlines) - `Enter` - Paste first selected item - `Esc` - Close popup **Example Workflow:** 1. Press `Cmd+Shift+V` to open clipboard history 2. Use `↓` to navigate to first desired item 3. Hold `Shift` and press `↓` three times to select 4 items 4. Press `Cmd+C` to copy all selected items as one combined block 5. Paste into target application with standard `Cmd+V` ## Use Cases **Writing/Documentation:** - Collect code snippets from different sources - Combine multiple text fragments into one document - Merge bullet points from various locations **Development:** - Collect multiple log entries for debugging - Combine error messages from different runs - Merge configuration values **Data Entry:** - Combine multiple copied values into spreadsheet - Aggregate information from various sources ## Benefits - **Power user workflow** - Purely keyboard-driven, no mouse needed - **Familiar UX** - Uses standard macOS multi-select patterns (Shift+arrows) - **Time savings** - Avoid manual copy-paste loops - **Native feel** - Behaves like Finder/Excel/other Mac apps ## Technical Considerations (macOS) - Would require replacing current `NSMenu` with custom `NSPanel` + `NSTableView` - `NSTableView` has built-in multi-select support on macOS - Need to handle keyboard events for `Shift` modifier detection - Window should feel native to macOS (blur effects, rounded corners) ## Platform Notes This proposal focuses on **macOS** because: - macOS has consistent `Shift`-based multi-select patterns - Windows clipboard managers may use different conventions (Ctrl instead of Cmd) - Platform-specific UI components (`NSTableView` vs Win32 controls) --- **Interest Level:** If there's interest in this feature, I might get round to implementing it eventually. Would this be a useful addition to Clipy? 🎯