- This page is about computer text editing. For rheological properties of pastes such as toothpaste or putty, see Paste (rheology).
In computing, copy-and-paste is a popular, simple method of reproducing text or other data from a source to a destination.
Copying can be performed on most graphical user interface systems using the key combination Ctrl+C, or by using some other method, such as a context menu or a toolbar button. Once data have been copied into the area of memory referred to as the clipboard, they can be pasted into a destination using the key combinations Ctrl+V or Shift+Insert, or methods dependent on the system. (Macintosh computers use the key combinations Command+C and Command+V.)
The popularity of this method stems from its simplicity and the ease with which data can be moved between various applications without resorting to permanent storage.
Moving is done with cut and paste.
See also
