I try to enter ifdef/endif blocks into my code and so I have this copied to the clipboard:

{$IFDEF USE_ANALYZER}
{$ENDIF}

When I get to a block I want to condition I put the cursor at the beginning of the block and paste these lines.
Then I select the second line I pasted and drag it to the end of the block so it covers the whole block.

Next I find the subsequent block to treat and I place the cursor at the start and make a Ctrl-V to paste.
But now only the line
{$ENDIF}
is pasted!

I could not understand this until in one place I did the opposite, after pasting the two lines at the start of the block I selected the block and dragged it to the start of the second pasted line. When I then went to the next location in the code and pasted the clipboard then the last block I moved into the ifdef section was pasted!!!!!!!!!

So apparently the IDE is copying whatever I select and replaces what I have myself put into the clipboard!

Where can I switch this strange behaviour OFF!
I am using Lazarus 2.0.8 with FPC 3.0.4 on Raspbian Linux.

And I rearrange the code frequently by using mouse moves (dragging).

On Linux you should have 2 clipboards.
One  is automatically assigned, if you select text. It is used for pasting via middle mouse button. (it only reacts OnRequest)

Afaik there isn't an option for that.
This is the first time I hear that this replaces the other clipboard....

See TCustomSynEdit.AquirePrimarySelection;

Unless something happens during dragging... (I could not find anything in the code from a cursory look)
If you just select the text, and then do ctrl-v, do you get the original clipboard, or the selection?

And I rearrange the code frequently by using mouse moves (dragging).

If you use trunk, you can move lines (or selected lines, or even random selection) up and down via keyboard.

  ecMoveLineUp:          VK_UP,[XCtrl, ssShift, ssAlt]);  // or selected lines
  ecMoveLineDown:     VK_DOWN,[XCtrl, ssShift, ssAlt]); // or selected lines
  ecDuplicateLine:        VK_INSERT,[XCtrl, ssShift, ssAlt]); // or selected lines

   ecMoveSelectUp:      VK_NUMPAD8,[XCtrl, ssAlt]);
   ecMoveSelectDown: VK_NUMPAD2,[XCtrl, ssAlt]);
   ecMoveSelectLeft:     VK_NUMPAD4,[XCtrl, ssAlt]);
   ecMoveSelectRight:  VK_NUMPAD6,[XCtrl, ssAlt]);
   ecDuplicateSelection: VK_NUMPAD0,[XCtrl, ssAlt]);

(You can also add to the clipboard, collecting content from diff places. )

I cannot find any of this in the Lazarus Tools/Options tree... Are you referring to the source code of Lazarus itself?

But I made a test now and just selecting text does not put it into the clipboard.

But when a line that is selected inside the code editor is moved using the mouse, then it replaces whatever is in Clipboard.

If something in a line is selected and moved then what gets into the clipboard is the first character of that selection!!! What a strange functionality!

I have no clue about any secondary clipboard, I use Notepad++ on my Windows laptop and that is where I copied the two lines.

Then inside the RaspberryPi VNC session where I run Lazarus I could paste it into the code editor until such time as when I have dragged something using the mouse in Lazarus. Following that the clipboard contains the moved text instead.

Apart from your problem you describe here, do you know of Shift+Ctrl+D? You can select the source lines press Shift+Ctrl+D and select one of the conditional defines or create a new one. Then you get the {$IFDEF ...} at the beging of the selected text and {$ENDIF} at the end of the selected text.

Pascal

The above is from the source, but it shows the default keys. In Tools Options, under Keymap, they are in "Text Editing commands" > "Move line down" etc

Again: Trunk only. Not avail in 2.0.x

But I made a test now and just selecting text does not put it into the clipboard.

Good.

But when a line that is selected inside the code editor is moved using the mouse, then it replaces whatever is in Clipboard.

Strange. Not indented.

I have no clue about any secondary clipboard, I use Notepad++ on my Windows laptop and that is where I copied the two lines.

That is a Linux thing.
Try this (in a terminal)

- Select and Copy some text (ctrl-v, or context menu copy)
- Select other text
- Middle click => inserts the other text
- Paste (context menu) insert the original text

Then inside the RaspberryPi VNC

Do you use a shared clipboard, or other VNC clipboard functionality? Maybe vnc is messing around.

If vnc is pulling either or both clipboards....
What happens to the clipboard, if you select text, and do nothing for a minute?

What happens to the clipboard, if you select text in a terminal (on the rpi) and middle click it?

Do you mean a terminal window in the RPi GUI on a monitor attached to the RPi itself?

So now I used the Text Editor on RPi *via VNC* for testing:
- Select and copy text
- Move caret to other location and Ctrl-V paste (works)
- Select text somewhere
- Middle click mouse when it is somewhere else in the text. Pastes on mouse location without moving caret from selection.
- Move caret to other location in text, this clears the selection
- Middle click does nothing now!
- But Ctrl-V pastes the original copied text

Then starting Lazarus and inside the code editor:
- Select and copy text
- Move caret and Ctrl-V paste works
- Select other text
- Without moving caret middle click somewhere - pastes selected text
- Move caret and middle click - nothing happens
- Ctrl-V paste - *previously* copied text pasted

Seems like middle click will paste whatever is currently selected at the location where the mouse pointer is moved.

> Then inside the RaspberryPi VNC Do you use a shared clipboard, or other VNC clipboard functionality? Maybe vnc is messing around.

I don't know how this works, I have not modified any VNC config I am aware of. It probably uses the installation defaults. But I very often move text back and forth between Win and RPi using Copy/Paste, so using the clipboard.

Based on the above experiments it seems like I can make copies of a piece of text by just selecting it and then pointing the mouse at the destination and hit the middle button. It will then be copied there.

Since I did not know that I had been holding the Ctrl key on the keyboard while dragging the selection to the destination. This action seems to affect the clipboard so what was in it is replaced by the dragged text.

I will change my work habit...

I cannot really do any of the "on the RPi" stuff since I do not have a monitor to connect the RPi to and no other keyboard or mouse either. VNC has worked reasonably good over the years, first with TightVNC and then later with the RealVNC that now come bundled with the RPi images. So I enable the VNC server on all of my GUI style RPi units and use the RealVNC application on my Windows10 notebook computer to use the RPi desktop.
Still have some older RPi units so I also occationally use TightVNC for these.

But the tests you suggested revealed previously hidden (for me) functionality I can use going forward!

Thanks!

Bo Berglund wrote

Seems like middle click will paste whatever is currently selected at the location where the mouse pointer is moved.

Yes middle click, will get current selection. And afaik it can do this cross applications.

That still should not replace the ctrl-c/v clipboard.... Strange.

If you drag without ctrl, will the ctrl-c/v clipboard also be affected, or does it keep its content?

Also, just curiosity, but you said you drag the "{$Endif} to a diff location? Holding Ctrl means you drag it, but keep the orginal => so you end up with 2 $ENDIF ?

But the tests you suggested revealed previously hidden (for me) functionality I can use going forward!

Btw, on top of the other suggestion doing the $Endif stuff. You can assign a single keycombo to type {$Endif}.
(Editor macros are in the view menu)

- record an editor macro  (IIRC  ctrl-shift r)
- type: {$Endif}
- stop recording (IIRC  ctrl-shift r)

In the editor macro dialog, move the macro to IDE (so its global), and assign a key-combo.

Then you just paste the {IFDEF....}
and insert the $Endif via your key combo.