CtrlC

Ctrl+C is a keyboard input used in many computing environments to perform different actions depending on context. In most graphical user interfaces on Windows and many Linux environments, pressing Ctrl+C copies the currently selected text or item to the clipboard, and can also copy files within file managers.

In macOS, the corresponding operation is typically performed with Command+C rather than Ctrl+C, as macOS keyboard shortcuts generally use the Command key for standard shortcuts.

In command-line interfaces and terminals, Ctrl+C is a control sequence that sends an interrupt signal to the foreground process (commonly SIGINT), requesting termination or interruption. This behavior is implemented by the operating system and shells; some programs trap or ignore the signal to perform cleanup instead. In Windows Command Prompt and PowerShell, Ctrl+C serves a similar interrupt purpose to stop a running process.

Technically, pressing Ctrl+C sends the ASCII control character ETX (End of Text, code 3) to the active application, which is often represented on screen as ^C.

The exact behavior of Ctrl+C can vary by program: some editors and IDEs map it to copy, others to cancel an operation, and some may override it for custom commands. As a result, users may encounter different outcomes depending on the platform and application.

Overall, Ctrl+C is a widely used control sequence whose interpretation depends on the context: copy in graphical interfaces, and interrupt/terminate in many terminals and command shells.