Skip to main content

Clipboard Mode Guide

Universal editor support via clipboard operations - works with any editor without extensions.

Overview​

Clipboard mode provides a fallback integration method that works with any editor through simple copy/paste operations. It's ideal when:

  • Your editor doesn't have a Radium extension
  • You want a lightweight integration
  • You need cross-editor compatibility
  • Extension installation is not possible

How It Works​

  1. Copy code with optional file path annotation
  2. Run rad clipboard send to process with Radium
  3. Copy result from output
  4. Paste back into your editor

Installation​

No installation required! Just ensure Radium CLI is in your PATH:

rad --version  # Verify CLI is installed

Usage​

Sending Code to Radium​

Step 1: Copy Code with Annotation (Optional)​

Add a file path annotation to your code when copying:

For C-style languages (Rust, C, Java, JavaScript, etc.):

// File: src/main.rs
fn main() {
    println!("Hello, world!");
}

For hash-comment languages (Python, Ruby, Shell, YAML, etc.):

# File: main.py
def main():
    print("Hello, world!")

For HTML/XML:

<!-- File: index.html -->
<html>
  <body>Hello</body>
</html>

Step 2: Send to Radium​

rad clipboard send

This will:

  • Read from clipboard
  • Parse file path and language (if annotated)
  • Detect language automatically (if not annotated)
  • Prepare context for Radium processing

Output:

rad clipboard send

  • Reading from clipboard...
  ✓ Content parsed
    File path: src/main.rs
    Language: rust

  • Sending to Radium...

Context:
{
  "file_path": "src/main.rs",
  "language": "rust",
  "selection": "fn main() {\n    println!(\"Hello, world!\");\n}",
  "surrounding_lines": ""
}

✓ Processed code from clipboard and prepared for Radium.
  Use 'rad step <agent-id>' with this context to process the code.

Receiving Code from Radium​

rad clipboard receive

Formats the last agent output and writes to clipboard with file path annotation for easy pasting.

Language Detection​

If no file path annotation is provided, Radium attempts to detect language from:

  1. Shebang (#!/usr/bin/env python3)
  2. Code patterns:
    • fn main() → Rust
    • def + import → Python
    • function + => → JavaScript
    • package + func → Go

File Path Annotation Format​

The annotation format supports several comment styles:

Language TypeFormatExample
C-style// File: path// File: src/main.rs
Hash# File: path# File: main.py
HTML/XML<!-- File: path --><!-- File: index.html -->

Notes:

  • Annotation must be on the first line of copied content
  • Path can be relative or absolute
  • Language is auto-detected from file extension if path provided

Workflow Examples​

Example 1: Quick Refactor​

  1. Copy code with annotation:

    // File: utils.rs
    pub fn old_name() {}

  2. Send to Radium:

    rad clipboard send
    rad step refactor-agent "Rename function to new_name"

  3. Copy result from Radium output

  4. Paste into editor

Example 2: Multi-file Context​

  1. Copy code from multiple files sequentially
  2. Each copy includes file annotation
  3. Send each to Radium with context

Example 3: Any Editor Workflow​

  1. In Vim/Emacs/Any Editor:

    • Select code
    • Copy with annotation comment

  2. Terminal:

    rad clipboard send
    rad step code-agent "Add error handling"

  3. Back in Editor:

    • Copy result from terminal
    • Paste into file

Integration with rad step​

Clipboard mode works seamlessly with rad step:

# Read from clipboard and process
rad clipboard send | rad step code-agent

# Or process with specific context
rad step code-agent --context "$(rad clipboard send)"

Limitations​

  • No automatic context injection (must annotate manually)
  • No diff preview (compare manually)
  • No chat integration (use rad chat separately)
  • Manual copy/paste required

Tips​

  1. Create Editor Macros: Set up keyboard shortcuts in your editor to add file path annotations automatically
  2. Use Aliases: Create shell aliases for common workflows 
    alias rad-copy='rad clipboard send | rad step code-agent'
  3. Template Comments: Keep annotation templates in a snippet/abbreviation system

Troubleshooting​

Clipboard Empty​

Issue: "Clipboard is empty" error

Solution:

  • Ensure code is copied before running command
  • Test clipboard access: rad clipboard send (should show content)
  • Check system clipboard permissions

Language Not Detected​

Issue: Language shows as "unknown"

Solution:

  • Add file path annotation with extension
  • Use explicit language hints in annotation
  • Check code patterns match known languages

File Path Not Parsed​

Issue: File path annotation not recognized

Solution:

  • Ensure annotation is on first line
  • Use correct comment style for language
  • Format: // File: path or # File: path or <!-- File: path -->

See Also​