HarmonyOS Next Distributed Clipboard VS Traditional Clipboard

In the ecological system of HarmonyOS Next, the emergence of the distributed clipboard has brought users a brand-new cross-device data interaction experience. Compared with the traditional clipboard we are familiar with, it has many innovations. Today, let's conduct an in-depth analysis of the differences, advantages between the two, and the methods of using the clipboard API in HarmonyOS Next.

Limitations of the Traditional Clipboard (Only Available within a Single Device)

The traditional clipboard is a function that we are very familiar with in our daily use of electronic devices. Whether on a computer or a mobile phone, it provides us with convenient data copy and paste operations. However, its biggest limitation is that it can only be used within a single device. For example, when we copy an important piece of text information on our mobile phone and want to paste it onto a computer for further processing, the traditional clipboard is unable to help. In today's scenarios of multi-device collaborative work and life, this is very inconvenient. In a work scenario, we may need to view materials on our mobile phone and copy the key content, and then perform document editing on the computer. But due to the limitations of the traditional clipboard, we have to manually re-enter this content, wasting a lot of time and energy. Moreover, when transferring data between different devices, if it involves various types of data such as pictures and files, the traditional clipboard is even more unable to meet the needs, greatly restricting the user's work efficiency and usage experience.

Technical Advantages of the Distributed Clipboard (Multi-device Synchronization, Data Lifecycle Management)

Multi-device Synchronization

The distributed clipboard of HarmonyOS Next breaks down the barriers between devices and achieves multi-device synchronization. As long as the user's multiple devices are logged in with the same Huawei account and meet certain network conditions (such as turning on the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth switches, and it is recommended to connect to the same local area network), data can be freely copied and pasted between different devices. For example, when you copy a picture on your mobile phone, without any additional operations, you can directly paste and use it on a tablet or a computer, truly achieving the seamless flow of data between different devices. This multi-device synchronization function significantly improves the user's work efficiency. For example, when creating content across devices, we can copy fragments of inspiration on our mobile phone at any time and then paste them into the creative content on the computer, greatly improving the fluidity of the creation.

Data Lifecycle Management

The distributed clipboard also performs excellently in data lifecycle management. It effectively manages the copied data. The data copied across devices is valid within two minutes, which not only ensures the availability of the data within a certain period of time but also avoids the data occupying the clipboard resources for a long time. At the same time, the system will automatically complete the cross-device data transfer and synchronization. Developers and users do not need to pay too much attention to the complex process of data transmission between devices. They only need to perform copy and paste operations just like using a traditional clipboard. This automated data lifecycle management makes the user's usage process more convenient and reduces the possible problems caused by improper data management.

Implementation Comparison: How to Use the Clipboard API in HarmonyOS Next (Code Examples + Comparison Table)

In HarmonyOS Next, the implementation methods of using the distributed clipboard API are very different from those of the traditional clipboard. The following is a detailed description through code examples and a comparison table.

Code Examples

Using the distributed clipboard API in HarmonyOS Next:

// Copy data on device A
import pasteboard from '@ohos.pasteboard';
import { BusinessError } from '@ohos.base';

export async function setPasteDataTest(): Promise<void> {
    let text: string = 'Text copied across devices';
    let pasteData: pasteboard.PasteData = pasteboard.createData(pasteboard.MIMETYPE_TEXT_PLAIN, text);
    let systemPasteBoard: pasteboard.SystemPasteboard = pasteboard.getSystemPasteboard();
    await systemPasteBoard.setData(pasteData).catch((err: BusinessError) => {
        console.error(`Failed to set pastedata. Code: ${err.code}, message: ${err.message}`);
    });
}

// Paste data on device B
import pasteboard from '@ohos.pasteboard';
import { BusinessError } from '@ohos.base';

export async function getPasteDataTest(): Promise<void> {
    let systemPasteBoard: pasteboard.SystemPasteboard = pasteboard.getSystemPasteboard();
    systemPasteBoard.getData((err: BusinessError, data: pasteboard.PasteData) => {
        if (err) {
            console.error(`Failed to get pastedata. Code: ${err.code}, message: ${err.message}`);
            return;
        }
        let recordCount: number = data.getRecordCount();
        let types: string = data.getPrimaryMimeType();
        let primaryText: string = data.getPrimaryText();
        console.log(`Number of clipboard data records: ${recordCount}`);
        console.log(`Data type: ${types}`);
        console.log(`Data content: ${primaryText}`);
    });
}

The implementation methods of the traditional clipboard vary among different operating systems. Taking the common desktop operating system Windows as an example, using the C# language to implement simple text copy and paste:

using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Copy operation
        Clipboard.SetText("Text copied on a single device");

        // Paste operation
        string pastedText = Clipboard.GetText();
        Console.WriteLine($"Pasted content: {pastedText}");
    }
}

Comparison Table

Comparison Items	Traditional Clipboard	HarmonyOS Next Distributed Clipboard
Scope of Use	Only valid within a single device	Can be used between multiple devices, requiring logging in with the same Huawei account and meeting network conditions
Data Synchronization	None	Automatically synchronized, with real-time data sharing between devices
Data Type Support	Common texts, images, etc., limited by the device and system	Supports various custom data types, with high flexibility
Data Lifecycle	Depends on the device system management, generally with no clear time limit	Data copied across devices is valid within two minutes, and the system manages it automatically
Implementation Complexity	Varies depending on the operating system, generally requiring the invocation of specific system APIs	Implemented through a unified API, relatively simple, and developers do not need to pay attention to the underlying transmission details
Development Difficulty	Adapting to different APIs is required for development in different systems, which is relatively complex	Using the unified @ohos.pasteboard module, the development is relatively simple

Through the above comparison, it can be seen that the distributed clipboard of HarmonyOS Next has made a qualitative leap in terms of functions and usage experience compared with the traditional clipboard, providing strong support for multi-device collaborative work and life. In actual development and use, developers can choose the appropriate clipboard technology according to specific needs to meet the data interaction requirements in different scenarios.