Function to copy to clickboard in App Designer?

I am making an application that outputs results in Edit Fields (both text and numeric). I would like to add a function that automatically copies the contents of an Edit Field to the clipboard when the Edit Field is selected (clicked). However, I do not see a callback function for Edit Fields like "ClickedFcn" for Drop Down lists.

Is it possible to do this directly or perhaps via some workaround?

[dpb]

I've never gotten fancy enough to use them, but the workaround I can think of would be to put the control in a panel that does have the callback. How well it would suit your appication, I don't know...

[Michael P]

The best solution I've come up with is to add a button next to the Edit Field and use the ButtonPushedFcn callback with the clipboard function.

function ButtonPushedFcn(app, event)
    clipboard('copy',value)
end

It's a good solution but it would be nice to not have to eat up screen real estate.

Answer 1

[Matt J]

Implement a WindowButtonDownFcn callback for the UIFigure canvas,

function CanvasButtonDown(app, event)

            clickedComponent = app.UIFigure.CurrentObject;
            if clickedComponent == app.MyEditField
                % This code runs when the edit field is clicked
                disp('Edit field was clicked');
                
                clipboard('copy' , app.MyEditField.Value);
            end
end

[Michael P]

Thank you. This seems to be very close, but I can't quite get it to work. Where should the function be added? I don't see any option for a CanvasButtonDown callback, so I tried adding the code as a UIFigureButtonDown callback:

function UIFigureButtonDown(app, event)
    clickedComponent = app.UIFigure.CurrentObject;
    if clickedComponent == app.EditField
        clipboard('copy', app.EditField.Value);
    end
end

Unfortunately, the program never enters the callback at all no matter what I click.

There seems to be an issue because the Edit FIeld in question is inside of a Grid Layout, which is itself inside of a Tab, which is in turn inside of a Tab Group.

The structure is thus app.UIFigure > app.TabGroup > app.MainTab > app.GridLayout > app.EditField.

Is this a poor/incorrect way of structuring an app?

[Matt J]

I don't see any option for a CanvasButtonDown callback

Youi want to set the WindowButtonDownFcn callback in the Component browser (see below). 'CanvasButtonDown' is just a hypothetical name I assigned for the function signature. The name appearing in the function signature of a callback can be anything you want.

There seems to be an issue because the Edit FIeld in question is inside of a Grid Layout, which is itself inside of a Tab, which is in turn inside of a Tab Group.

Doesn't seem to be an issue for me. I've attached a minimal working example app to illustrate.

[Michael P]

This worked! Thank you for the clear explanation.