Since v1.3, block selection is available in dhtmlxGrid. To enable it, the user should include dhtmlxgrid_selection.js file.

Selection color can be changed in dhtmlxgrid.css in class definition for .dhtmlxGrid_selection. It is set to yellow by default. There is one smart method that enables block selection:

        grid.enableBlockSelection(true); // false to disable

This way of selection affects block selection, so it will copy|paste only visible text, not values behind it:

        grid.forceLabelSelection(true|false);

First, the user should include dhtmlxgrid_nxml.js file into the project to make copying data to the clipboard possible. However, it should be noted that this functionality is prohibited in FireFox by default.

Note: The user should set tab as delimiter (using grid.csv.cell=“\t” syntax) in order to insert copied data to MS Excel.

If a block is active, the user can copy its contnet to the clipboard in CSV format (if this is allowed by the browser) in the following way:

        grid.copyBlockToClipboard();

There is a simple way of copying entire grid data to clipboard in CSV format:

        grid.gridToClipboard();

Data from the selected rows can be easily copied to the clipboard in CSV format in the following way:

       grid.rowToClipboard(rowId);

There is one optional parameter here: rowId - id of the row in question. If it is not indicated, data of the selected row/rows will be copied.

Data of the selected cell can be copied to the clipboard as well:

        grid.cellToClipboard(rowId, cellInd);

There are two optional parameters in this method:

• rowId - id of the row (optional); if it is not indicated, the selected row will be used;
• cellInd - index of the column (optional); if it is not indicated, the selected cell will be used.

Pasting data from the clipboard to the grid can be done like this:

• Update the entire grid from the clipboard:

        grid.clearAll(); // clear grid
        grid.gridFromClipboard(); //Set grid CSV content from the clipboard (uses active delimiter)

• Update a row from the clipboard (valid row content should be in the clipboard):

        grid.updateRowFromClipboard(rowId); // id of the row, optional parameter; if it is not set, the selected row will be updated

• Add rows from the clipboard to the grid

        grid.addRowFromClipboard();

• Set clipboard content as value of a cell:

        grid.updateCellFromClipboard(rowId, cellInd);

The parameters here are:

a) rowId - id of the row (optional); if it is not indicated, the selected row will be used; b) cellInd - column index(optional); if it is not indicated, the selected column will be used.

• Pasting content of the clipboard into the block selection of the grid:

        grid.pasteBlockFromClipboard();