The clipboard is just a temporary memory space. Generally, in any application you can select what you want to copy, and the usual "formal method" is to click on Edit and then on Copy on the dropdown menu. Alternate: Ctl-C will do the copy.

In the same program, or in any other, Edit and Paste will "paste" the contents of the clipboard at whatever location you've picked with the cursor. Alternate: Ctl-V.

Depending on the program/application Right-Click and select Copy or Paste will do the same thing. A few, especially older programs, may use Ctl-I for the paste rather than Ctl-V (Some Word Perfect programs use the Ctl-I for "insert" according to ancient memories(?))

In most Microsoft Office programs, once something is in the clipboard, you can also click Edit and then "Paste Special" which allows you to past what's in the clipboard directly, as "formated text" (rtf), or as "unformated text" (.txt).

The "Paste Special" variation can be extremely useful when copying from web pages. A direct paste often puts "messy bunches of code and bookmarks and frames and tables etc." in the paste.

"Paste Special Unformatted" will paste only the text characters without all the mess.

"Paste Special Formatted" usually will paste a minimum of "messy stuff" but will retain links, and sometimes will paste images.

If you don't like the look of what pasted, Ctl-Z is the "undo" that removes the paste but leaves the clipboard intact. Choose a different Paste or Paste Special and try again.

Note that what's in the clipboard remains there so you can paste the same thing in more than one place. In most programs a new "Copy" will replace what's in the clipboard, ready for the next paste. In some Office programs the clipboard may be able to retain several "copies" and a popup menu will ask which one you want to paste. It should be obvious what to do when you see it happen.

In older Office programs if you want to copy several things before pasting them, there is a utility called the "Spike" that can be handy, but unless you practice a bit it can get confusing. Usually "objects" paste out in the reverse order of the copying (LIFO = last in first out). Consulting Help in the program at hand is recommended.

All clear now?

John