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  PASTECOLOR
  
  Copy paste tool for Windows color pickers
  version 0.1
  release 27/03/2013

  PasteColor is a Windows color picker helper tool that helps you copy or paste color values with ease.
  Written in AutoIt (http://www.autoitscript.com/)
  
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  # FEATURES
-----------------------------------------------
  - copy color to clipboard from color pickers
  - paste color to color pickers in RGB, HEX formats or using HTML color names 
  - input color validation
  - configurable hotkey
  - remember last color
  - user-defined colors support
  - system tray icon with enable/disable feature
  - portable, no installation required (all settings saved to ini file)

  # USAGE
-----------------------------------------------
  - Launch PasteColor.exe
  - Start Microsoft Paint (or any other color application that has a picker)
  - Put the cursor in the "Red" field (may need to click on "Define Custom Colors" to make it visible)
  - Use the "Ctrl-Shift-P" hotkey to invoke PasteColor's input box
  - Enter "copy" to copy the current color or enter a color to paste (e.g. "154, 255, 212")
  - Click on "OK" or hit "Enter"

  # SETTINGS
-----------------------------------------------
  After launched, PasteColor sits on the system tray. 
  Double-clicking on it or selecting "Settings" from the right-click tray menu will bring up the "Settings" window where you can set the following options:
  - Enable notifications: if checked, PasteColor will show a tray notification when copying a color
  - Show tray icon: whether to show or hide the tray icon. If you hide PasteColor, launch it again to show the "Settings" window where you can check this setting again. You can also use the keyword "settings" to show the "Settings" window (see the "Keywords" section below).
  - Send delay: delay time in milliseconds between sending keystrokes. Try increasing the value when experiencing issues with PasteColor. Default: 0.
  - Force Alternative Send method: PasteColor automatically switches to an alternative send mode when the default mode would fail. In this mode "TAB" is used to jump to the next control which is slower but more compatible. You can force this alternative method by checking this option.
  - Disable validation: some color pickers includes "%" or other signs that would not make through PasteColor's color validation. By checking this option you can disable this check.
  - Hotkey: this is where you can set your own hotkey to show PasteColor's input box. Default is "Ctrl-Shift-P".
  - Enable/Disable: you can toggle PasteColor's enabled state by clicking on the "Enable" system tray right-click menu item
  
  # KEYWORDS
-----------------------------------------------
   When hitting PasteColor's hotkey to show the input box, you can enter the following keywords:
  - "copy" or "rgb" to the input box copies current color to clipboard in RGB format ("154, 255, 212")
  - "hex" to the input box copies current color to clipboard in HTML Hex format ("993424")
  - "hexx" to the input box copies current color to clipboard in HTML Hex format with hash character ("#993424")
  - "c[n]" will copy N number of input fields' value. For example, "c4" copies the value of four input fields to clipboard, resulting "23,55,98,100" (e.g. for CMYK color palettes). Useful if you need to copy values from arbitrary number of input fields. Note that no color conversion is performed this case.
  - "paste" or "p" will paste comma-delimited values on clipboard to input fields. Repetition is determined by the number of commas found in the clipboard string (note: "p" performs no color validation check).
  - "p 23,44,55,88,30" will paste 23, 44, 55, 88 and 30 to input fields. You can use arbitrary number of elements separated with commas.
  - Named html colors (e.g. "LightBlue" or "Olive", see "Input Color Formats" section below)
  - "last": previously copied or pasted color
  - "settings": show the "Settings" window
  - "exit": terminate PasteColor (useful if PasteColor system tray icon is disabled)
  
  # INPUT COLOR FORMATS
-----------------------------------------------
  PasteColor accepts the following RGB and HTML Hex color formats as input:
  - 100, 0, 240
  - 100 0 240
  - #123456
  - 123456
  - #123 (= #112233)
  - 123 (= 112233)
  - HTML color names, e.g. "DeepSkyBlue" (see http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_colornames.asp)
  
  # USER-DEFINED COLORS
-----------------------------------------------
  You can define your own colors in the "Settings.ini" file under the "USERCOLOR" section, e.g.:
  MyCorporateGreen = #071
  
  Then enter "MyCorporateGreen" (without the quotes) to PasteColor's input box to paste color "#071".
  Any number of custom colors can be defined.
  This feature has no GUI at the moment.
  
  # TESTED APPLICATIONS
-----------------------------------------------
  PasteColor's main target is the built-in Windows color picker but can be used in other applications as well.
  
  Tested applications:
  (application marked with asterix needs Force alternative send mode)
  - Windows System Color Picker
  - LibreOffice
  - RJ TextEd
  - Adobe Illustrator (color picker dialog, not the color panel)
  - Microsoft Office 2003/2007 (*)
  - FreeOffice (*)
  - Adobe Photoshop (*)
  - CorelDraw (*)

  If you experience issues in an application, try checking "Force alternative Send method" or increase the "Send" delay in PasteColor's settings.
  If neither works, please report a bug (see contacts at the bottom).
  
  # CHANGELOG
-----------------------------------------------
  version 0.1 (25/02/2013)
  - Windows 7 support
  - modified application behaviour: PasteColor must run in the background to use
  - added auto-switch send method feature
  - added settings GUI window
  - added tray icon
  - added tray menu
  - added About window tray menu item
  - added Help tray menu item
  - added "last", "settings" and "exit" keywords
  - added HTML names support for color input
  - added custom user colors feature (must edit ini file manually)
  - added custom hotkey feature
  - added enable/disable feature
  - added show tray icon feature
  - added enable/disable notifications feature
  - added custom send delay feature
  - added force alternative send method feature
  - added disable validation feature
  - settings are only written to ini if differ from the default settings
  - show settings window if application is already running
  - added hotkey ctrl-alt-shift-win-P to show the settins window (hardcoded)
  - removed commandline options /paste, /copy, /silent
  - available in x86 and x64 editions
  - added application info to the exe file
  
  version 0.0 (04/09/2012)
  - initial release

  
  # CREDITS
-----------------------------------------------
  Many thanks to guinness for helping me out when AutoIt was too much for me.
  Also gathered many useful tips and hints from the AutoIt forum (http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/).
  Application icon is from Fugue Icons by Yusuke Kamiyamane.
  
  # LICENCE
-----------------------------------------------
  Free. No limitations.
  
  # DISCLAIMER
-----------------------------------------------
  PasteColor is provided "as is" and "with all faults." The developer makes no representations or warranties of any kind concerning the safety, suitability, lack of viruses, inaccuracies, typographical errors, or other harmful components of PasteColor. There are inherent dangers in the use of any software, and you are solely responsible for determining whether PasteColor is compatible with your equipment and other software installed on your equipment. You are also solely responsible for the protection of your equipment and backup of your data, and the developer will not be liable for any damages you may suffer in connection with using, modifying, or distributing PasteColor.

  # DOWNLOAD
-----------------------------------------------
  http://rolandtoth.hu/files/PasteColor.zip

# RESOURCES
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  PasteColor on my blog:
  http://blog.rolandtoth.hu/pastecolor-windows-color-picker-copy-paste-tool
  
  The Portable Freeware Collection where initial builds were discussed: 
  http://www.portablefreeware.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=17649
  
  
