Paste Clipboard onto Multiple Table Cells

[Cr8zy_Ivan]

We strongly recommend you to search the forum with possible keywords before making a new feature request. If your request is very similar to an existing one, consider liking it and/or making a comment rather than making a new one. Once you’ve searched and determined that this is a new request, delete this line.

Use case or problem

I would like to Paste the contents of the Clipboard onto Multiple Table Cells. As one does in Excel and Google Sheets. Use case: Select Multiple Cells, then Ctrl + V, and all the selected Cells now contain the same value, the contents of the Clipboard.

Being able to Paste the Clipboard onto Multiple Cells would also allow the user to Replace the content of Multiple Cells in an easy fashion. As a use case: You could select Multiple Cells from another Table (whether it be an existing Table in Obsidian, or in an external Software), Copy the Selection to your Clipboard, then Select the Cells in the Table you want to Replace (this second Table, which is located in one of your Obsidian Notes), then Ctrl + V to Paste and Replace the Cell contents. This, instead of resulting to Pasting a Full New Table inside of one Cell.

Proposed solution

Implement this feature for/while Editing Tables in Obsidian.

Current workaround (optional)

Create and Edit a Table in Google Sheets beforehand and paste it in Obsidian afterwards. Also, you must make sure your Table is at it’s final version before pasting it in Obsidian or you will most likely have to edit it in the external Software once again, before Re-Pasting it in Obsidian for a second time.

It’s just a pain to have to source out tasks to external Software to get anything done. Every time you have to do so, you get kicked out of your state of flow and it becomes a time siphon.

Related feature requests (optional)

[rigmarole]

+1

To be clear (from what I understood in the Discord discussion) is that this request is asking to select the contents of ONE cell (or any clipboard source really), and paste it into multiple selected cells all at once. Right?

You already can copy multiple contiguous cells, and paste that range. And as I understand, that is not the point of this particular request.

[Cr8zy_Ivan]

Huh… you actually can paste the contents of multiple cells onto other cells (replacing their content), but this, from one Obsidian Table to another Obsidian Table. Trying to do so from a Google Sheets only creates a table within the first selected cell (pasting multiple Google Sheets Cells onto an Obsidian Table).

[blue_emperor]

I guess this FR should include description of the clipboard content, i.e. how columns and rows are separated. Multiple syntax is available for interpreting content as rows and columns. The title could also include “import tables”.

[Cr8zy_Ivan]

I’m looking to edit the Post, but I can’t seem to find the edit Button (to add “import tables” in the Title). Is this something only moderators can do perhaps?

[rigmarole]

@Cr8zy_Ivan

I can’t seem to find the edit Button

The forum has a time limit for editing, to combat spam edits. You can reply to add more info. Importing tables sounds like a very different feature request.

[rakali]

I am frequently caught out by this.

Have you figured out and workarounds?

[blue_emperor]

Hello @rakali . I created a related bug report

Pasting markdown tables into table cells are not recognized as separate table cells

Steps to reproduce 1. Create new table i.e. ⌘P then insert table 2. Copy&paste this code to the first table cell | a | | --- | | b | Did you follow the troubleshooting guide? [Y/N] yes Expected result I should see [image] Actual result I see [image] Environment SYSTEM INFO: Obsidian version: v1.8.10 Installer version: v1.8.9 Operating system: Darwin Kernel Version 24.2.0: Fri Dec 6 18:51:28 PST 2024; root:xnu-11215.61.5~2/RELEASE_ARM64_T8112 24.2.0 Login status: not logge…

[DRRO]

@Cr8zy_Ivan

It’s just a pain to have to source out tasks to external Software to get anything done. Every time you have to do so, you get kicked out of your state of flow and it becomes a time siphon.

I can relate to this so much, @Cr8zy_Ivan , @rakali , anyone what are you using nowadays?

[blue_emperor]

Steps to reproduce

1. Create new table i.e. ⌘P then insert table
2. Copy&paste this code to the first table cell

| a   |
| --- |
| b   |

Did you follow the troubleshooting guide? [Y/N]

yes

Expected result

I should see

Actual result

I see

Environment

SYSTEM INFO:
Obsidian version: v1.8.10
Installer version: v1.8.9
Operating system: Darwin Kernel Version 24.2.0: Fri Dec 6 18:51:28 PST 2024; root:xnu-11215.61.5~2/RELEASE_ARM64_T8112 24.2.0
Login status: not logged in
Language: en
Insider build toggle: off
Live preview: on
Base theme: adapt to system
Community theme: none
Snippets enabled: 0
Restricted mode: off
Plugins installed: 0
Plugins enabled: 0

RECOMMENDATIONS:
none

---

Additional information

When I copy a selection like

my clipboard content is

| a   |
| --- |
| b   |

I should be able to use that equivalent clipboard content copied from elsewhere like from automated tools/scripts. Now if I want Obsidian to handle pasting to separate cells, my clipboard content needs to originate within Obsidian. I consider this behavior as a bug.

[blue_emperor]

@DRRO

anyone what are you using nowadays?

There are so many use cases. What do you want to do? I use Ctrl+; and Ctrl+D in Excel or LibreOffice but you may use Obsidian for simple tables. If used properly, Excel at least offers dynamic pivot tables. Usually in LibreOffice you have to input your data first then make graphs/pivot tables. However both Excel and LibreOffice are very powerful.