FAQ about copy paste functionality in upcoming release

I received a few questions about this post, and the nodo bits that were released last week, some of the answers are worth sharing broadly.

About the UI guideline comment
[this is the one worth the clarification]

What is the UI guideline about not using TextBox in pivot/pano? Where is it documented?
This is mostly a recommendation (similar to keeping panorama UIs simple and clean).

It is not a formal guideline since it varies by app layout/scenario.  As you know, panoramas and pivots do  listen for touch gestures, and the guidelines have always said you should avoid controls that fight for touch (such as sliders, map, etc.);  a textbox is a bit more dependent on the scenario: copy/paste is not the primary function of a textbox; it should come down to what the textbox does; if the app is filling a form and you have lots of textboxes, then I too would avoid putting them inside a panorama or pivot.  On the other hand, if you have a scenario that mostly presents data and really shines in a panorama or a pivot but you need a textbox that fits well into the scenario (such as a search box), it should be OK to use.  The new controls mitigate touch conflict a little, and as long as you position your textbox and the usage is appropriate, my early preview testing says it is OK.  

Will my app fail if I have a textbox in a pano?
Again, no. This is not a requirement.

What you should know and maybe act/upon:

My app does not have a pivot/panorama. Do I need to recompile and resubmit?
For the most part, you should not have to resubmit (if you don’t have textbox inside pivot/pano).  The exception are people that were manipulating TextBox’s focus and selection.  If you manipulate these, it is safe to test to make sure it all works.

if I don’t recompile, will I get copy/paste in my app?
Yes. Without recompile and resubmit, your app will get copy/paste in updated phones, and the performance improvements will also be there.
 
Will I get the performance improvements?
Yes, these are also coming for free.

Details on the API
Can I get programmatic access to the clipboard?
Not in this release.

Can I disable copy/paste?
No. That would be awkward to the user.

What controls get copy/paste?
TextBox, PasswordBox. WebBrowser control includes support c/p too (if you have textboxes in the HTML).
TextBlock does not get it, but you can re-template a TextBox to look like a TextBlock (do make sure to set it read-only).

Will new features be added to the API in future releases (e.g. programmatic access or clipboard access)?
Of course. This current update is mostly an OS release, that is why the Copy/Paste is not very platform focused; but expect improvements in future platform releases.

 

Of course I have also heard the question:
When does the release go live?  Unfortunately, I don’t know the exact date (and I am bad at guessing). You can leverage the developer tools today and recompile your app with the new pivot/pano and submit to the marketplace any time. You do not have to wait for the release.  Don’t wait until date is announced and end up fighting the certification queues.