PopClip

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Technical notes ​

This page is a home for some technical details that didn't quite fit anywhere else.

Release terminology ​

The documentation uses the following terminology to refer to PopClip releases:

Version numbering ​

PopClip versions are presented in the form version string (build number), for example 2023.7 (4151), with the following meaning:

  • Version string:

    • Production releases: Production releases of PopClip have a version string in the form year.month, e.g. 2023.7, corresponding to when the version was released. In case of multiple releases in the same month, a third number is added, e.g. 2023.7.1.

    • Beta releases: Beta versions have version strings such as Build 4151 which are not related to the release date.

  • Build number: The number in parentheses after the version string is the build number, which precisely identifies the release. It always increases monotonically, so a higher build number means a newer release.

Build number anomaly

The build number is consistent across all editions and release channels, except that the Mac App Store edition build number is always 1000000 higher than the other editions. For example, version 2023.7 (4151) of the Standalone Edition is the same version as 2023.7 (1004151) of the Mac App Store Edition.

How to take screenshots of PopClip ​

When I try to take a screenshot, the PopClip bar disappears. Is there a secret to taking such a screenshot?

In Terminal, enter:

defaults write com.pilotmoon.popclip ScreenshotMode -bool YES

then Quit and restart PopClip. Now you can use ⌘⇧4 to take a shot, and PopClip won't disappear when you press the keys.

When you've done with screenshots and want to go back to normal:

defaults write com.pilotmoon.popclip ScreenshotMode -bool NO

How to find all instances of PopClip.app on your Mac ​

Terminal command:

mdfind "kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier == 'com.pilotmoon.popclip*'"

Example output:

/Applications/PopClip.app
/Users/nick/Downloads/PopClip.app
/Applications/Setapp/PopClip.app

Transfer extensions and settings to a different Mac ​

Whilst there is no built in import/export or sync (yet), you can manually copy your existing extensions and settings to a different Mac by copying across the following:

Extensions folder:

~/Library/Application Support/PopClip/Extensions folder

Preferences file:

~/Library/Preferences/com.pilotmoon.popclip.plist