HelpServer's copy function is designed to encourage the reusability of the content as much as possible. If you copy an object and paste it, you do not create a new instance of that object. Instead upon paste you create a new reference to the same content object. So, the actual content object is not duplicated and if you change it, the changes are immediately reflected in each folder where it is used. You can compare the HelpServer copy/paste operation with creating a shortcut in Windows Explorer. However, it is possible to actually duplicate an object in HelpServer. This is explained in clones

In the next example we copy 'The eagle' chapter from the 'Birds' book to a 'New birds' book.

Copying a folder

Popup the menu of the chapter and select 'Copy'.

Pasting the copied folder

Then popup the menu of the folder in which you want to paste (here in this example that would be the 'New birds' book) and select 'Paste'. The paste submenu allows you to choose where to paste in the folder.

Copied folder and its dependants pasted

After the paste the copied chapter along with its contents now also remains in 'Book: New birds'. But it is not duplicated. Try adding a new topic to 'The eagle' chapter or try changing the 'About the eagle' topic in that chapter. You can do this in the 'Book: Birds' or in the 'Book: New birds'. There will be no difference.

You can also perform the copy/paste operation on the table on the right.

The copy/paste always creates a new reference which contains a copy of the original reference properties. So, changing the pasted reference properties will have no influence on the original reference.

In the next example we demonstrate how to use the cut/paste operation to move multiple objects from one book to another one.

Cutting multiple objects

Select the 'Book: Birds' folder in the table on the right and on the left select the objects, popup the menu and select 'Cut'.

Pasting multiple objects

Next, select the folder in which you want to paste in the tree on the left and popup the menu. Select 'Paste', the submenu will indicate that it is about multiple objects. You can choose where to paste in the folder.

Multiple objects cut and pasted

After the paste operation the objects are moved.

If the object you want to paste is already available in the folder, a message box as in the next image will inform you that the operation cannot be executed.

Pasting cannot be executed

Dragging and dropping

On Windows platforms, you can also manipulate the objects in the tree by means of drag and drop. When invoking a drag and drop operation, you may request various actions:

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Press left mouse button to move objects from one folder to another.

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Press shift, control and left mouse button to copy objects as link.

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Press control and left mouse button to clone objects.