Copy, paste, and the tray you cannot see
Move a paragraph from one document to another without retyping a word of it.
Copy and paste feels like magic until something goes wrong, and then it feels like a conjuring trick you were not let in on. It is not a trick. There is a tray.
When you press Copy, a duplicate of whatever you chose is placed on an invisible tray. The original does not move. The tray holds one thing at a time, and it holds it until you copy something else — an hour later, or after lunch, or in a completely different program.
Key points
- Copy something once and paste it as many times as you like.
- Tell the difference between Copy and Cut, and know which one is safe.
- Name the invisible tray, and say how long it holds what you put on it.
What to remember
- Choose, Copy, go where you want it, Paste. Four presses, and the original is never at risk.
- Copy duplicates. Cut moves. When in doubt, use Copy — you can always delete the original afterwards.
Try this
Choose a line in anything you have written, press Ctrl and C, then press Ctrl and V three times in a row. Three copies. The tray did not empty when you took from it — that is the part worth knowing.
Practice: Copy, paste, and the tray you cannot see. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.