this is a javascript that i built out of several sources so that it is possible to copy text out of HTML in firefox/mozilla/netscape and in Internet Explorer

large parts of that script are copied from other sources, thats why there are dutch comments ;-)

this script only works in mozilla if you sign the javascript or if you change some settings in firefox... see notes below...

<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
<!--

// Copyright (C) krikkit - krikkit@gmx.net
// --> http://www.krikkit.net/
//
// This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
// modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
// as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
// of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
 
function copy_clip(meintext)
{
 if (window.clipboardData) 
   {
   
   // the IE-manier
   window.clipboardData.setData("Text", meintext);
   
   // waarschijnlijk niet de beste manier om Moz/NS te detecteren;
   // het is mij echter onbekend vanaf welke versie dit precies werkt:
   }
   else if (window.netscape) 
   { 
   
   // dit is belangrijk maar staat nergens duidelijk vermeld:
   // you have to sign the code to enable this, or see notes below 
   netscape.security.PrivilegeManager.enablePrivilege('UniversalXPConnect');
   
   // maak een interface naar het clipboard
   var clip = Components.classes['@mozilla.org/widget/clipboard;1']
                 .createInstance(Components.interfaces.nsIClipboard);
   if (!clip) return;
   
   // maak een transferable
   var trans = Components.classes['@mozilla.org/widget/transferable;1']
                  .createInstance(Components.interfaces.nsITransferable);
   if (!trans) return;
   
   // specificeer wat voor soort data we op willen halen; text in dit geval
   trans.addDataFlavor('text/unicode');
   
   // om de data uit de transferable te halen hebben we 2 nieuwe objecten 
   // nodig om het in op te slaan
   var str = new Object();
   var len = new Object();
   
   var str = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/supports-string;1"]
                .createInstance(Components.interfaces.nsISupportsString);
   
   var copytext=meintext;
   
   str.data=copytext;
   
   trans.setTransferData("text/unicode",str,copytext.length*2);
   
   var clipid=Components.interfaces.nsIClipboard;
   
   if (!clip) return false;
   
   clip.setData(trans,null,clipid.kGlobalClipboard);
   
   }
   alert("Following info was copied to your clipboard:\n\n" + meintext);
   return false;
}
//-->
</script>      

to call that script out of your HTML use e.g. this code:

<span onclick='return copy_clip("this is your personal text")'>

test this script:

click somewhere on this line to copy some text to your clipboard (you should have the text "Hello World, from www.krikkit.net!" in your clipboard afterwards)

notes about security:

a cause of the tight security settings in mozilla you have to sign the javascript to make it work another way is to change your firefox/mozilla settings

to do this add this line to your prefs.js file in your firefox/mozilla user profile directory

user_pref("signed.applets.codebase_principal_support", true);

or change it from within the browser with calling the "about:config" page

huge parts of the script are directly copied from the following sources:

http://www.xulplanet.com/tutorials/xultu/clipboard.html
http://www.codebase.nl/index.php/command/viewcode/id/174