# Using copy paste table data via dashboard

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-copy-paste-table-data-via-dashboard/21888>\
**Category:** Dashboard\
**Created:** [17 February 2020 20:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-copy-paste-table-data-via-dashboard/21888 "2020-02-17T20:37:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 34

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Christian-Me](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/christian-me/32/10774_2.png) [@Christian-Me](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Christian-Me)\
**Post date:** [3 March 2020 22:12 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-copy-paste-table-data-via-dashboard/21888/34 "2020-03-03T22:12:12Z")

</div>

And here you are:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/a/0/a0cdde8caa0a9f35bcdf0e637e8a26c94c40c864.png)  
You need only one callback function I included in a separate function note for better readability (do not wire this into your flow).  
The change node does the preparation of the table with a `msg.ui_control` object. Because you need minimum one cell to paste into (you can`t paste into an empty table) I put in some dummy data  
It is not necessary to configure the the table node only tick "send data on click" to activate the output.

 ![copy-paste](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/d/4/d4f7d64aee7f5f13344aa0375d6985242f9e31a8.gif)

And in Node-RED:  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/a/0/a0f079d4d15cd5220ae2a61923a7bcef9af2fbf5.png)

Here is the fow:

```auto
[{"id":"4512106a.2f145","type":"change","z":"4ddb981f.f34df8","name":"ui_control & placeholder","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"ui_control","pt":"msg","to":"{\"customHeight\":20,\"tabulator\":{\"layout\":\"fitColumns\",\"clipboard\":true,\"clipboardCopySelector\":\"table\",\"clipboardCopyStyled\":false,\"clipboardPasteAction\":\"function(rowData){ this.send({ui_control:{callback:'clipboardPasteAction'},payload:rowData}); return this.table.replaceData(rowData); }\",\"columns\":[{\"field\":\"col1\",\"title\":\"Column #1\"},{\"field\":\"col2\",\"title\":\"Column #2\"},{\"field\":\"col3\",\"title\":\"Column #3\"}]}}","tot":"json"},{"t":"set","p":"payload","pt":"msg","to":"[{\"col1\":\"click here & CTRL+v\",\"col2\":\"or click here & CTRL+v\",\"col3\":\"or click here & CTRL+v\"},{\"col1\":\" or on any other cell\",\"col2\":\"\",\"col3\":\"\"},{\"col1\":\"\",\"col2\":\"\",\"col3\":\"\"},{\"col1\":\"\",\"col2\":\"\",\"col3\":\"\"},{\"col1\":\"\",\"col2\":\"\",\"col3\":\"\"},{\"col1\":\"\",\"col2\":\"\",\"col3\":\"\"},{\"col1\":\"\",\"col2\":\"\",\"col3\":\"\"},{\"col1\":\"\",\"col2\":\"\",\"col3\":\"\"},{\"col1\":\"\",\"col2\":\"\",\"col3\":\"\"},{\"col1\":\"\",\"col2\":\"\",\"col3\":\"\"},{\"col1\":\"\",\"col2\":\"\",\"col3\":\"\"},{\"col1\":\"\",\"col2\":\"\",\"col3\":\"\"},{\"col1\":\"there is a issue with small or empty tables\",\"col2\":\"will be dixed soon\",\"col3\":\"\"},{\"col1\":\"Untill then we have\",\"col2\":\"to fill in some\",\"col3\":\"dummy lines\"}]","tot":"json"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":399,"y":255,"wires":[["71d16773.2b0a38"]]},{"id":"8d8d7ea4.2fe3f","type":"debug","z":"4ddb981f.f34df8","name":"clipboardPasteAction","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":1018,"y":238,"wires":[]},{"id":"71d16773.2b0a38","type":"ui_table","z":"4ddb981f.f34df8","group":"113a4af6.0aab85","name":"Copy & Paste","order":1,"width":"17","height":"7","columns":[],"outputs":1,"cts":true,"x":641,"y":255,"wires":[["d9789454.020d58"]]},{"id":"a0dee6b9.6423c8","type":"function","z":"4ddb981f.f34df8","name":"clipboardPasteAction Callback","func":"// callback: clipboardPasteAction\n// DO NOT USE IN A FLOW!\n\nclipboardPasteAction = \n// copy from here\nfunction(rowData){\n this.send({ui_control:{callback:'clipboardPasteAction'},payload:rowData});\n return this.table.replaceData(rowData);\n}\n// until here\n// use the Visual Editor!\n// paste into ui_table JSON \"clipboardPasteAction\":\"function(....\"\n\n// technical details\n//\n// the example function ends with\n//\n// return this.table.updateData(rows);\n// \n// but that's not updating the data (because it does try to update data through\n// the index field (default \"id\")\n// replaceData simply erase all existing rowData and fills in the pasted data\n// that's what we want","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":419,"y":204,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"38c0e825.798328","type":"ui_ui_control","z":"4ddb981f.f34df8","name":"on tab change","events":"change","x":182,"y":255,"wires":[["4512106a.2f145"]]},{"id":"d9789454.020d58","type":"switch","z":"4ddb981f.f34df8","name":"","property":"ui_control.callback","propertyType":"msg","rules":[{"t":"eq","v":"clipboardPasteAction","vt":"str"},{"t":"else"}],"checkall":"true","repair":false,"outputs":2,"x":815,"y":255,"wires":[["8d8d7ea4.2fe3f"],["7b094d08.4d1224"]]},{"id":"7b094d08.4d1224","type":"debug","z":"4ddb981f.f34df8","name":"something else","active":false,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":998,"y":272,"wires":[]},{"id":"113a4af6.0aab85","type":"ui_group","z":"","name":"ui-table Copy & Paste","tab":"a1c14418.954cd8","disp":true,"width":"17","collapse":false},{"id":"a1c14418.954cd8","type":"ui_tab","z":"","name":"ui-table test","icon":"dashboard","disabled":false,"hidden":false}]

```

CTRL-c is working too. It is set to "table" (including currently invisble cells) and no styling.

[Detailed documentation of this tabulator feature can be found here.](http://tabulator.info/docs/4.5/clipboard)

Be aware that colum `field` names must match cells of the first row of the pasted data and the clipboard is **tab** \t and **new line** \n formatted, as windows clipboard does. [http://tabulator.info/docs/4.5/clipboard#paste-parser](http://tabulator.info/docs/4.5/clipboard#paste-parser)

_There could be still a little issue in the vertical size of the table. So this is why the table is initialized with blank or dummy rows. Will be solved shortly_

---

_[View the full topic](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/using-copy-paste-table-data-via-dashboard/21888)._