- CLIPBOARD:
- This contains copied data.
- Copy data by selecting text and pressing Ctrl+c or right-clicking and choosing copy from the context menu.
- Paste data by pressing Ctrl+v or pressing Shift+Insert or right-clicking the mouse and choosing paste to paste.
- AutoKey's
clipboard.get_clipboard()
andclipboard.fill_clipboard()
API calls can access this.
- PRIMARY:
- This contains selected data.
- Its purpose is to contain the only argument to commands that take one argument and is the principal means of communication between clients that use the selection mechanism.
- Select data by selecting text.
- Paste data by pressing the middle mouse button.
- AutoKey's
clipboard.get_selection()
andclipboard.fill_selection()
API calls can access this.
- SECONDARY:
- This contains selected data.
- Its purpose is to either contain the second argument to commands that take two arguments or to contain additional data when there's already a primary selection that the user doesn't want to disturb.
- Select data by holding down the meta or Alt key while selecting text.
- Paste data by holding down the meta or Alt key while pressing the middle mouse button.
- AutoKey doesn't have API calls to access this.
- With the keyboard:
- Hold down the Shift key while pressing any of the arrow keys.
- Hold down the Shift key while pressing the Home or End button.
- Hold down the Shift key while pressing the PgUp or PgDn button.
- Hold down the Ctrl and Shift and End keys.
- With the mouse:
- Hold down the left mouse button and drag it across the text.
- Hold down the left mouse button and lasso the text with the mouse.
- Double-click to select the current word.
- Triple click to select the curent line.
- With the mouse and keyboard:
- Hold down the left mouse button and press the PgUp or PgDn key.
- Hold down the left mouse button and press the Ctrl key.
- Hold down the left mouse button and the Ctrl and Shift and End keys.
- Hold down the Ctrl key while making multiple selections.
- Select some text and press the Ctrl and Ins keys together.
For more details about how all of this works, see the "Peer-to-Peer Communication by Means of Selections" section in the Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual.
I checked it out and added some comments.