Copying From PyCharm Editor: Loss of Syntax Highlighting and Formatting

Problem

When copying text directly from the PyCharm editor, syntax-highlighted keywords lose their visual formatting (e.g., color, bold, or italic styling) when pasted into plain text or non-IDE editors. Occasionally, text of the keywords might seem truncated or missing, though typically the raw text remains intact.

This issue does not occur when pasting within PyCharm or other IDEs that support rich text formatting.

Cause

This behavior occurs because syntax highlighting is not part of the actual code but is rendered by PyCharm for display purposes. PyCharm allows copying in both plain text or rich text formats; however, target applications such as plain text editors, Notes, or messengers may strip the formatting during the paste operation. The visual keyword attributes (color, bold, or italic) are part of rich text formatting, which these applications do not preserve.

If actual text content (e.g., keywords like def, class, import) is found missing, it might indicate a problem with the copying method or application handling, which may require further investigation.

Resolution

1. Verify Rich Text Copying:

   • Paste the copied text into a rich-text editor such as Word, Google Docs, or Outlook.
   • If syntax highlighting and formatting are preserved, PyCharm is copying correctly, but the target application is stripping the formatting.

2. Disable Rich Text Copying:

   • Navigate to File | Settings | Editor | General.
   • Disable the rich text copying option.

3. Copy as Plain Text:

   • Use Edit | Copy as Plain Text to copy code without any formatting.
   • This avoids potential issues when pasting into text-only environments.

These steps should help mitigate issues when copying and pasting text from PyCharm into various applications.

If the issue of missing or truncated keywords persists, further troubleshooting may be required to investigate the specific case.