Allow copying an image result from Python Interactive window

[andrewdelong]

Environment data

• VS Code version: 1.30.2
• Extension version (available under the Extensions sidebar): 2018.12.1
• OS and version: Ubuntu 18.04
• Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): Anaconda Python 3.7.2
• Type of virtual environment used (N/A | venv | virtualenv | conda | ...): conda
• Relevant/affected Python packages and their versions: None

Expected behaviour

It'd be great if Python plots within the IDE could be copied to the clipboard. I'd expect right-click to show a menu with "Copy" as an option, for example.

Copying pasting quick plots into Slack/e-mail is super convenient for sharing intermediate results with colleagues.

Actual behaviour

Copying code from Python Interactive works (including rich formatting), but copying images does not. Right-clicking on the image does not show a menu. Selecting the image as part of the surrounding code does not include the image.

Workaround: Take screenshot, paste into image editor, crop, copy-paste the crop, close image editor.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Paste this into a .py script

#%%
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
plt.plot(x, np.sin(x))

2. Click "Run Cell" in the editor.
3. Try to copy the resulting plot to the clipboard.

[IanMatthewHuff]

Selecting and "ctrl-c" on the plot in the Interactive window will copy the image out. Though we don't yet have a context menu support for this.

[andrewdelong]

Thanks @IanMatthewHuff. I tried more ideas due to your comment, and you're right that I can paste into GSuite (Gmail, GDocs). It still doesn't work for Slack (Windows, Linux) or Word (Windows), but having it work for GSuite is already very helpful -- thanks!

Summary of current situation:

Copy action from IPython Interactive	Gmail	GDoc	Slack	Word
Drag image from one window to the other	Works	Works	No	No
Select image as part of text, then Ctrl+C	Works	Works	No	No
Right click on image, select "Copy"	No	No	No	No

[IanMatthewHuff]

@andrewdelong Thanks for checking that out for us. Glad that you are (somewhat) unblocked for now. I'll look into the pasting issues as I'm surprised that Word in particular doesn't work. We also want to get a context menu in here for this so it's more discoverable.

[IanMatthewHuff]

I was just playing with this a bit myself and I was able to paste into Word, but it was odd. Some sections would paste and others would not and getting selection correct was tricky as well. Will have to look into this more as a whole "copy / paste correctly" meta issue.

[IanMatthewHuff]

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/54930530/how-to-save-images-from-python-interactive-tab-in-microsoft-visual-studio-code/54930957#54930957

SO issue. In addition to Copy have a save to file button?

[rchiodo]

Somewhat related to this is the 'theme' for the plot. We force dark on dark themes, but the user may wish to save/copy the plot as a different theme. See some of the discussion in microsoft/vscode-python#4009

[stmax82]

@IanMatthewHuff is it possible that selection support for output images was removed in the last few versions? I've got extension version 2019.3.6558 and clicking on output images does nothing. Neither does pressing ctrl-c. :(

This is my first time trying VSCode for Jupyter notebooks and I immediately ran into this problem since my primary way of getting images out of notebooks and into emails / presentations is copy&pasting them.

Also I'll need to find a way to get rid of the dark theme on plots, but that's another google.

[IanMatthewHuff]

Hey @stmax82 . Currently the support that we do / did have for selecting output images is just based on what we get by default for being in a vscode hosted webview. I don't believe that it should have changed recently, but since this is not something that we have directly added we don't have any specific tests around it. We have the issue referenced above for getting this support fully in and solid.

For what it's worth I just poked around a bit myself. If I did a drag selection over the matplotlib graph (so that I could see a selection around it) I was able to ctrl-c it and paste it into word. Sorry that we don't have this better supported yet, but does that work for you as a workaround?

[stmax82]

@IanMatthewHuff looks like the trick is selecting the image by dragging the mouse over it - not clicking on it (like I tried before). But still, not sure what I'm doing wrong, this is what I get:

Selection in VS Code:

Result in Word:

Anyway, I can already move some notebooks over to VS Code where I don't need to export the plots and keep the rest in jupyter for a while.

[IanMatthewHuff]

Sorry I'm not able to repro that odd looking box in your copy result. I think that might be how the code input box that use at the bottom to enter new code is coming out in a copy operation. I think that the best thing we can say for now is that this issue is open and on our radar to make sure that we have a good copy story.

[greazer]

Let's support a context menu on images with "Open Viewer" and "Copy".

[rchiodo]

This isn't possible without this working:
microsoft/vscode#217

[dpsugasa]

Being able to alter the appearance of images (matplotlib themes) regardless of the VS Code theme would be useful. I also think being able to easily copy and/or export the images would be useful.

I see a button to "Export to different formats" but it doesn't do anything when I click on it.

[rchiodo]

@dpsugasa the export button should allow you to save as PDF/PNG. That was working until this change:
microsoft/vscode-python#7181

Although unless you're on our insider's build, you shouldn't have that change. I've added an issue (https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python/issues/7257) to fix that before our next release.

In relation to this request:

Being able to alter the appearance of images (matplotlib themes) regardless of the VS Code theme would be useful

I don't think that will be coming anytime soon. We don't do the plotting ourselves (it's handled by Jupyter) and in order to generate an image in a different theme, we'd have to rerun the plot code.

[alext234]

It'll be cool if we can copy the image straight from vscode.