Ditto by RB — Lightweight Clipboard Overlay (AutoHotkey v1)

A lightweight, always-on-top clipboard overlay for Windows that shows recent text clips, lets you paste instantly via click or hotkeys, and toggles between a compact collapsed view and a full list. The window does not steal focus (non-activating) and is semi-transparent. The RB button types a constant string directly at the caret (without touching the system clipboard). The Clear button resets the in-app history and toggles.

Download

Get the latest version from Releases: https://github.com/rmbgits/Ditto.ahk/releases/latest

Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Paste item #1 … #5	Ctrl+1 … Ctrl+5
Collapse/expand overlay	Click >>> / bar
Paste on click	List item click

Only Ctrl+1..Ctrl+5 hotkeys are active to avoid conflicts.

Features

• Live text clipboard history (default 10 items), de-duplicated and trimmed to one-line previews.
• Instant paste via clicking a list item or with Ctrl+1..Ctrl+5 (top five items).
• RB button types a constant value at the caret using “SendInput {Text}” (clipboard remains unchanged).
• Clear button wipes in-app history and resets toggles (Auto-Paste ON, Hotkeys ON) without altering the system clipboard.
• Collapsed mini mode shows only the “Ditto” label; expanded mode shows top-row buttons (RB, Clear, >>>), the list, and toggles.
• Always-on-top, non-activating (WS_EX_NOACTIVATE) overlay with adjustable transparency.
• Screen clamping and periodic topmost reinforcement; adapts to monitor/work area changes.

Requirements

• Windows 10/11
• AutoHotkey v1.x

Quick Start

1. Download and run Ditto-by-RB.ahk (requires AutoHotkey v1).
2. Copy any text; it appears at the top of the overlay list (de-duplicated, trimmed).
3. Click a list item to set it as the clipboard and paste automatically if Auto-Paste is enabled.
4. Use Ctrl+1 … Ctrl+5 to paste items 1–5 directly into the active window.

Top Row Controls (Expanded Mode)

• RB: Types a constant value directly at the caret using SendInput, {Text}%RB_VALUE% (clipboard stays intact).
• Clear: Resets in-app history and sets toggles to defaults (Auto-Paste ON, Hotkeys ON); the Windows clipboard is not changed.

• : Collapse/expand toggle; when collapsed, only the “Ditto” label is shown. Clicking the collapsed panel expands it.

Collapsed vs Expanded

• Collapsed: Minimal panel with “Ditto” text; no buttons or list visible; click anywhere on the panel to expand.
• Expanded: Top row shows RB, Clear, and “>>>”; below is the list and two session toggles (Auto-Paste, Hotkeys).

Configuration (edit in script)

• Constant used by RB: global RB_VALUE := "Your_constant_value"
• History size: MaxHistory := 10
• GUI width: GuiWidth := 290
• Screen margin: SafeMargin := 14
• Clipboard polling interval: SetTimer, CheckClipboard, 500 (ms)
• Defaults: AutoPasteEnabled := true, HotkeysEnabled := true
• Collapsed size: NewWidth := 110, NewHeight := 60 (in ToggleCollapse)
• Transparency: WinSet, Transparent, 180 (in ShowClipboardGUI)
• Preview length: FormatPreview(txt, maxLen := 27)

Behavior Details

• Non-activating overlay: Uses WS_EX_NOACTIVATE so the overlay stays on top without stealing focus.
• De-duplication: New clipboard text is added only if different from the last seen and not already in history.
• Hotkey paste (Ctrl+1..Ctrl+5): Sets the clipboard to the chosen history entry and sends Ctrl+V (if Hotkeys toggle is ON).
• List click: Selecting an item sets the clipboard and optionally pastes (if Auto-Paste toggle is ON).
• Clear reset: Clears in-app history and resets toggles; does not empty the Windows clipboard.
• RB typing: Uses {Text} mode to type the constant literally, avoiding interpretation of special characters and leaving the clipboard intact.

Known Limitations

• Text-only history; images/files are not handled.
• Some apps with nonstandard input fields may require adjusting the paste delay (e.g., Sleep, 70) or an alternative send mode.
• Clipboard polling interval trades responsiveness for overhead; tweak CheckClipboard timer as needed.

Security/Focus Notes

• Always-on-top is reinforced periodically; window position is clamped to the monitor work area to keep the overlay visible.
• Transparency and non-activating style aim to minimize disruption while typing.

Roadmap Ideas

• Optional history persistence across sessions.
• Image/file clipboard support; formatting-aware paste.
• Customizable hotkeys beyond Ctrl+1..Ctrl+5 (opt-in).

License

MIT