Clipboard Upload

Upload files or data from your computer to your website with a single click by using the clipboard.

Usage

Examples

To share a couple of files with someone:

• Select the files in a file manager and Copy.
• Run clipboard_upload.py.
• Paste the HTTP links now in the clipboard into an email or instant message.

To upload an image:

• Copy some image data to the clipboard, for instance by pressing the Print Screen key.
• Run clipboard_upload.py
• Paste the HTTP link now in the clipboard. It will point to a generated image file on the web server (.png by default).

To upload some text:

• In a text editor, select the text and Copy.
• Run clipboard_upload.py
• Paste the HTTP link now in the clipboard. It will point to a .txt file on the web server.

Install

This script works only on Windows.

• Download the clipboard_upload.py file and store it somewhere convenient.
• Create a shortcut to the .py file by dragging it onto the Windows start button.
• Download and install Python from http://www.python.org/getit/.
• Download and install Python Image Library (PIL) from http://www.pythonware.com/products/pil/.
• Download and install PyCrypto. It’s easiest to install from the precompiled binaries at http://www.voidspace.org.uk/python/modules.shtml#pycrypto.
• Download and install Paramiko from http://www.lag.net/paramiko/.
• Download and install PyWin32 from http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/files/.
• Create a folder on your web server that is accessible through the web.
• Create a user that has permissions to store files in that folder (or use an existing user, but note that the script is required to hold the password for this user in clear text).
• Open the clipboard_upload.py file in a text editor and edit the configuration settings. Notes on the settings are in the file.

Tips

Common ways of getting image data into the clipboard are:

• Print Screen: Get a screenshot of the entire screen.
• Alt + Print Screen: Get a screenshot of the program that currently has focus.
• Windows 7 Snipping Tool: Get a screenshot of any area of the screen.
• Right click an image in Firefox and select Copy Image.

Implementation

Strategy

• Use the clipboard as a staging area for uploading to a web server. After the upload, replace the contents in the clipboard with links to the uploaded data.
• Upload regular files by copying them to the clipboard in a file manager. For regular files, create files on the web server with names matching the ones in the clipboard (overwriting any existing files with those names)
• Upload image and text data by dynamically creating files on the web server with randomly generated names that will not overlap.
• Use SFTP to upload the data.
• Upload to a folder on the web server that is available through HTTP.

Todo

• Support HTML fragments.
• Support 3rd party file hosting services.