Transfer data to/from the Windows clipboard

// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
#if !defined __CLIPPUT_I
#define __CLIPPUT_I
// Copy input to Windows clipboard
// Data lines must be terminated by the CR LF pair (0xD,0xA)
// data in: line1CRLFline2CRLFline3CRLF --- Caller must format
// "this is a line\n" is not acceptable,
// "this is a line\r\n" is acceptable.
// If clipboard data shows square empty boxes at line ends in Windows,
// it is because lines are terminated by \n only.
#include <windows.h>
int clipput(char *toclipdata)
{
char far *buffer;
int bytes;

HGLOBAL clipbuffer;

// Set data buffer length to accomodate toclipdata
bytes = strlen(toclipdata);

// Peform the transfer to clipboard magic
OpenClipboard(NULL);
EmptyClipboard();
clipbuffer = GlobalAlloc(GMEM_DDESHARE,bytes+1);
buffer = (char far*)GlobalLock(clipbuffer);
if (buffer == NULL)
   return GetLastError() * -1; // Do what you want to signal error
strcpy(buffer,toclipdata);

GlobalUnlock(clipbuffer);
SetClipboardData(CF_TEXT,clipbuffer);
CloseClipboard();

// Return byte count
return bytes; // non-negative value is success.
// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
#if !defined __CLIPGET_I
#define __CLIPGET_I
#include <windows.h>
// Return pointer to clipboard data and set bytes returned value
// If error occurs, set up error message, point to it, set bytes negative
// Whether successful or not, the caller SHOULD free the data
char *clipget(int &bytes);
char *clipget(int &bytes)
{
int k;
char *buffer=NULL;
char *data=NULL;
char empty[80]="<Clipboard is empty>";

bytes = 0;

// open the clipboard
if (OpenClipboard(NULL))
   {
   HANDLE hData = GetClipboardData(CF_TEXT);
   char * buffer = (char*)GlobalLock(hData);
   GlobalUnlock(hData);
   CloseClipboard();

   // Return an error message
   if (buffer == NULL)
      {
      bytes = strlen(empty);
      data = (char *) malloc(bytes+1);
      strcpy(data,empty);
      bytes = bytes * -1;
      }
   // Return pointer to retrieved data
   else
      {
      bytes = strlen(buffer);
      data = (char *) malloc(bytes+1);
      strcpy(data,buffer);
      }
   }
// Return an open clipboard failed message
else
   {
   k = GetLastError();
   if (k < 0)
      bytes = k;
   else
      bytes = k * -1;
   sprintf(empty,"Error occurred opening clipboard - RC: %d",k);
   k = strlen(empty);
   data = (char *) malloc(k+1);
   strcpy(data,empty);
   }
// Return pointer to data field allocated 
// It's up to the caller to free the storage
return data;
}
#endif

}
#endif