pasting

Pasting is the act of inserting data that has been previously copied or moved into another location. In computing, it is one of the basic editing operations, typically carried out after a copy or cut action. The data is retrieved from the system clipboard or from an application's internal buffer and placed at the cursor position or a selected target area.

Clipboard and formats: The clipboard may hold multiple data formats (text, rich text, images, files). Applications determine which formats they can accept. If the destination supports the format, the content is inserted with its styling or metadata; if not, a plain text version may be used or the paste operation may fail.

Input methods: Common methods to initiate paste include keyboard shortcuts such as Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (macOS), the Edit or right-click menu, and drag-and-drop in some interfaces. Some programs offer "paste special" or "paste as plain text" to constrain formatting or convert data.

Security and limitations: Pasting can reveal data from other applications. Clipboard managers may retain history. Malicious or unexpected content can be pasted, so users should be cautious about sensitive information and sources. In digital workflows, paste operations are complemented by copy, cut, and drag-and-drop.

Physical pasting: In arts and crafts, pasting refers to joining materials using an adhesive paste or glue, a different but etymologically related use of the term.