Matlab help window doesn't allow copy

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Hi,
I have a problem with the Matlab help that pops up when I press F1. I used to copy-paste different examples from there directly in the command window, but for some time now it doesn't work anymore. If I highlight something in the help window, the copy option is not available anymore. Is this the typical behavior of the help form Matlab 2013b or is something wrong with my computer?
Thanks,
Razvan
  2 Comments
Dun Kirk
Dun Kirk on 4 Mar 2014
Not only ctrl+c doesn't work, but also mouse right click. Nothing happens after right click...
Ignacio Pisso
Ignacio Pisso on 1 Apr 2016
With Matlab 2016a (on OS X Yosemite) the bug persists... Try
cmd-c ctrl-v to copy
cmd-v to paste

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Accepted Answer

Image Analyst
Image Analyst on 17 Jan 2014
You need to use control-insert to copy from the help documentation. Hopefully they'll get the bug fixed by the next version.
  10 Comments
Kelly Kearney
Kelly Kearney on 7 Oct 2015
To clarify, by older versions, I meant back when the help was actually helpful, circa 2012 or so... (Can we please go back to the version with the index? Pretty please?)
Then it proceeded to the no-highlight-at-all phase somewhere arounf 2013b/2014a, then a highlight-but-no-copy phase, and only in 2015b did I discover (by accident) that the ctrl-c cmd-c combo works.
Toby Fernsler
Toby Fernsler on 3 Apr 2018
there is no insert key on a mac keypad

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More Answers (5)

Azzi Abdelmalek
Azzi Abdelmalek on 17 Jan 2014
  3 Comments
Azzi Abdelmalek
Azzi Abdelmalek on 17 Jan 2014
Edited: Azzi Abdelmalek on 17 Jan 2014
Have you tried ctrl+c (without a mouse)

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Staz
Staz on 19 Jun 2014
Very frustrating.
However you can get the exact same help on-line at http://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/
You will then be able to copy it from your browser.

Thomas Richner
Thomas Richner on 6 Mar 2016
Edited: Thomas Richner on 6 Mar 2016
I have to use cmd-c to copy and ctrl-v to paste since I swapped ctrl and cmd in osx. It appears that Matlab does not honor swapping cmd and ctrl.
  1 Comment
Irl Smith
Irl Smith on 17 Mar 2020
I'm running R2019b on a Mac (10.13.6) and command-C ((⌘C) does nothing if I highlight text in the Help window. However, right-click brings up a context-menu which has "Copy ⌘C" at the bottom. Selecting that does Copy the text. I haven't done anythng weird with key assignments.

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Matthias Brandt
Matthias Brandt on 7 Nov 2017
I am facing a little bit of a similar bug, I am unable to select text in the help browser if no mouse is connected to the physical machine. I am running Matlab on a remote machine (win 10) that I connect via VNC. The machine is in a server room, and intended to not be accessed other then for maintenance. I do want to use Matlab on it, and not on my local machine, to interface with other software running on it easily. Any ideas anyone?

Toby Fernsler
Toby Fernsler on 3 Apr 2018
I find I can copy text from the matlab help browser, paste it to notepad, then copy it from notepad into matlab editor. but I can't copy reliably from help to editor directly.

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