Python: copying from clipboard using tkinter witho

Question

Running Python 3.4 on Windows 7.

I need to copy what's stored in the clipboard to a variable in my python program. I've seen on Stack Overflow that that can be done either with pywin32 or tkinter. Since tkinter is part of the python standard library, I decided that that was the better of the two since the user won't have to install an external module. Here's the code for getting the clipboard data in tkinter:

import tkinter
number = tkinter.Tk().clipboard_get()

This works fine except a blank tkinter window pops up every time this executes.

1) Why is this happening? Normally tkinter doesn't display anything until tk().mainloop() is run.

2) Is there any way to avoid this window popping up? If not, I guess I'll just use pywin32

Answer 1

Window is created by tkinter.Tk() (or other elements which need window) not by tk().mainloop(). Mainloop keeps program working.

Maybe try Pyperclip or clipboard

Answer 2

This works fine except a blank tkinter window pops up every time this executes.

You can hide this window:

from tkinter import Tk
root = Tk()
root.withdraw()
number = root.clipboard_get()

Answer 3

You actually do it without tkinter and in a much more simple way:

import pyperclip

clipboard_content = pyperclip.paste()

Answer 4

I had the same problem. This worked for me on windows 7, python 2.7. I now only get one window.

from Tkinter import *
root = Tk()
cliptext = root.clipboard_get()
lab=Label(root, text = cliptext)
lab.pack()
root.mainloop()

Answer 5

AnnoyingWindow = Tk()
ClipBoard = AnnoyingWindow.clipboard_get()
AnnoyingWindow.destroy()
print(ClipBoard)

Answer 6

Here's a Python function based on this answer that replaces/returns clipboard text using Tkinter, a built-in Python module, without showing the window.

def use_clipboard(paste_text=None):
    import tkinter # For Python 2, replace with "import Tkinter as tkinter".
    tk = tkinter.Tk()
    tk.withdraw()
    if type(paste_text) == str: # Set clipboard text.
        tk.clipboard_clear()
        tk.clipboard_append(paste_text)
    try:
        clipboard_text = tk.clipboard_get()
    except tkinter.TclError:
        clipboard_text = ''
    r.update() # Stops a few errors (clipboard text unchanged, command line program unresponsive, window not destroyed).
    tk.destroy()
    return clipboard_text

A small disadvantage with using this Tkinter based method is that it uses a quickly hidden window which isn't ideal but this shouldn't be noticeable.
This answer uses content from my original answer on the Stack Overflow question How to copy/get an image in the clipboard with Python (I accept Tkinter for text).