wxPython ListCtrl copy to clipboard

Question

I am using a ListCtrl as a log file viewer so that I can hide "debug" type of columns from the average user. I would like to be able to select multiple cells just like you can do in many other grid-type programs, and then right click and say "Copy", and then be able to paste that into a text doc, email, etc. I would like to be able to select any grouping of contiguous cells, rather than be limited to whole rows only.

Is there anything built-in that does this for me? How would I accomplish that? Should I switch to a virtual or ultimate ListCtrl? Maybe I should be using some other wxPython class?

Yes, I have looked at that, as well as Ultimate ListCtrl and Virtual. But that doesn't show me the way. I notice that the TextCtrl has a right-click popup for "free" in that it just appears when I use the ctrl. But I get no freebies with ListCtrl. Also, the selection is row-based in ListCtrl, but I would like selection that works more like the wxGrid. Maybe using wxGrid would get me closer? But that still doesn't get me the right-click with copy to clipboard — David Lynch
wiki.wxpython.org/PopupMenuOnRightClick shows how to make a popup menu. wxGrid would probably work better if you need to select rows and columns. — unddoch

Danny Danny · Accepted Answer · 2014-06-30T12:38:23

A working example:

import wx


class Frame(wx.Frame):

    def __init__(self):
        super(Frame, self).__init__(None, -1, "List copy test", size=(400, 500))

        panel = wx.Panel(self, -1)

        self.listCtrl = wx.ListCtrl(panel, -1, size=(200, 400), style=wx.LC_REPORT)
        self.listCtrl.InsertColumn(0, "Column 1", width=180)

        for i in xrange(10):
            self.listCtrl.InsertStringItem(i, "Item %d" % i)

        self.listCtrl.Bind(wx.EVT_RIGHT_UP, self.ShowPopup)


    def ShowPopup(self, event):
        menu = wx.Menu()
        menu.Append(1, "Copy selected items")
        menu.Bind(wx.EVT_MENU, self.CopyItems, id=1)
        self.PopupMenu(menu)


    def CopyItems(self, event):
        selectedItems = []
        for i in xrange(self.listCtrl.GetItemCount()):
            if self.listCtrl.IsSelected(i):
                selectedItems.append(self.listCtrl.GetItemText(i))

        clipdata = wx.TextDataObject()
        clipdata.SetText("\n".join(selectedItems))
        wx.TheClipboard.Open()
        wx.TheClipboard.SetData(clipdata)
        wx.TheClipboard.Close()

        print "Items are on the clipboard"


app = wx.App(redirect=False)
frame = Frame()
frame.Show()
app.MainLoop()

You mentioned a list control, but if you want to select multiple cells, perhaps a grid control (excel sheet like) might be more suitable. The idea is still the same only the part where the list items (or cell items) are collected is different.

wxPython ListCtrl copy to clipboard

1 Answers