Angular 5: Implementing "Copy to Clipboard" Functionality with TypeScript

1. Import the Clipboard Module:

   In your Angular module's imports array, add ClipboardModule from @angular/cdk/clipboard:

   import { ClipboardModule } from '@angular/cdk/clipboard';
   
   @NgModule({
     // ...
     imports: [
       // ...
       ClipboardModule
     ],
     // ...
   })
   export class AppModule { }
   

2. Apply cdkCopyToClipboard Directive:

   In your component's template, add the cdkCopyToClipboard directive to an element (like a button or icon) that you want the user to click to copy the text. Bind the directive's [cdkCopyToClipboard] input to the text you want to copy:

   <button (click)="copiedText = 'Text to be copied';">Copy</button>
   <i class="material-icons" cdkCopyToClipboard [cdkCopyToClipboard]="copiedText">content_copy</i>
   

   • The (click) event handler is optional and can be used to display a success message or perform other actions after copying.
   • You can use any element with the directive, but a button or icon is a common choice.

3. Handle Copying Success (Optional):

   The cdkCopyToClipboard directive emits a copied event when the copy operation is successful. You can listen to this event in your component's TypeScript code to display a success message or perform other actions:

   import { Component } from '@angular/core';
   import { Clipboard } from '@angular/cdk/clipboard';
   
   @Component({
     selector: 'app-copy-clipboard',
     templateUrl: './copy-clipboard.component.html',
     styleUrls: ['./copy-clipboard.component.css']
   })
   export class CopyClipboardComponent {
     copiedText = '';
   
     constructor(private clipboard: Clipboard) {}
   
     copyToClipboard() {
       this.copiedText = 'Text to be copied';
       this.clipboard.copied.subscribe(() => {
         console.log('Text copied to clipboard!');
       });
     }
   }
   

Method 2: Using a Third-Party Library

While Angular CDK provides a good solution, you can also explore third-party libraries like ng-clipboard that might offer additional features or customization options. Refer to the library's documentation for specific instructions.

Key Points:

• The ClipboardModule from Angular CDK provides a convenient way to add copy-to-clipboard functionality to your Angular 5 application.
• The cdkCopyToClipboard directive simplifies attaching the copy behavior to an element.
• The copied event from the directive allows you to handle successful copy operations (optional).
• Consider third-party libraries for more advanced features or customization needs.

import { ClipboardModule } from '@angular/cdk/clipboard';

@NgModule({
  // ...
  imports: [
    // ...
    ClipboardModule
  ],
  // ...
})
export class AppModule { }

<button (click)="copiedText = 'Text to be copied';">Copy</button>
<i class="material-icons" cdkCopyToClipboard [cdkCopyToClipboard]="copiedText">content_copy</i>

import { Component } from '@angular/core';
import { Clipboard } from '@angular/cdk/clipboard';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-copy-clipboard',
  templateUrl: './copy-clipboard.component.html',
  styleUrls: ['./copy-clipboard.component.css']
})
export class CopyClipboardComponent {
  copiedText = '';

  constructor(private clipboard: Clipboard) {}

  copyToClipboard() {
    this.copiedText = 'Text to be copied';
    this.clipboard.copied.subscribe(() => {
      console.log('Text copied to clipboard!');
    });
  }
}

Explanation:

• In the first code snippet, we import ClipboardModule from @angular/cdk/clipboard in your Angular module's imports array. This enables copy-to-clipboard functionality using Angular CDK.
• In the second snippet, we use the cdkCopyToClipboard directive in the component's template. This directive is attached to a button or icon element (in this case, both a button and an icon). The [cdkCopyToClipboard] input binds the text you want to copy.
• The third snippet (optional) demonstrates how to handle successful copy operations. We inject the Clipboard service and subscribe to the copied event emitted by the directive. This allows you to display a message or perform other actions when the copy is successful.

Remember:

• Replace "Text to be copied" with the actual text you want the user to copy.
• The (click) event handler in the button example is optional and can be used for additional actions after copying.

This method involves creating a hidden textarea element, setting its value to the text you want to copy, selecting the text, and then copying it using the browser's built-in document.execCommand('copy') function. However, this approach can be less reliable across different browsers and might not work on mobile devices:

import { Component } from '@angular/core';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-copy-clipboard',
  templateUrl: './copy-clipboard.component.html',
  styleUrls: ['./copy-clipboard.component.css']
})
export class CopyClipboardComponent {
  textToCopy = 'Text to be copied';

  copyToClipboard() {
    const textarea = document.createElement('textarea');
    textarea.style.position = 'fixed';
    textarea.style.left = '-9999px';
    textarea.value = this.textToCopy;
    document.body.appendChild(textarea);
    textarea.select();
    document.execCommand('copy');
    document.body.removeChild(textarea);
  }
}

1. We define a textToCopy property to hold the text you want to copy.
2. The copyToClipboard method creates a hidden textarea element, sets its value to the text, appends it to the body, selects the text, and uses document.execCommand('copy') to copy it.
3. Finally, the textarea is removed from the body.

Caveats:

• This method might trigger security warnings in some browsers.
• It's not ideal for user experience as it involves creating and manipulating hidden elements.

Several third-party libraries offer copy-to-clipboard functionality with potentially more features or customization options compared to Angular CDK. Here's an example using ng-clipboard (installation instructions not included):

import { Component } from '@angular/core';
import { Clipboard } from 'ng-clipboard';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-copy-clipboard',
  templateUrl: './copy-clipboard.component.html',
  styleUrls: ['./copy-clipboard.component.css']
})
export class CopyClipboardComponent {
  textToCopy = 'Text to be copied';

  constructor(private clipboard: Clipboard) {}

  copyToClipboard() {
    this.clipboard.copy(this.textToCopy);
  }
}

1. We import Clipboard from ng-clipboard.
2. We inject the Clipboard service in the component's constructor.
3. The copyToClipboard method simply calls the copy method on the injected Clipboard service, passing the text to copy.

Benefits of Third-Party Libraries:

• May offer additional features like formatting or success/error callbacks.
• Can potentially provide a more streamlined API for copying.

Choosing the Right Method:

• For basic copy functionality: Angular CDK's ClipboardModule is a good choice as it's well-integrated with Angular and reliable.
• If you need more features: Explore third-party libraries like ng-clipboard.
• For simple cases: The textarea method might work, but consider its limitations.