# Copying of individual tag fields in Extended Tags (Alt+T) dialog seems broken

**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copying-of-individual-tag-fields-in-extended-tags-alt-t-dialog-seems-broken/44132
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [January 7, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copying-of-individual-tag-fields-in-extended-tags-alt-t-dialog-seems-broken/44132 "2019-01-07T15:13:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![xRussianBeautyx](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/x/58f4c7/32.png) [@xRussianBeautyx](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/xRussianBeautyx)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copying-of-individual-tag-fields-in-extended-tags-alt-t-dialog-seems-broken/44132/1 "2019-01-07T15:13:28Z")

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Hello,

I just updated to Mp3tag 2.91d, and tried the new feature "Copying of individual tag fields" in Extended Tags dialog (Alt+T) that has been introduced in Mp3tag 2.91.

It seems currently broken, nothing goes into the clipboard 😭

However, note that when using "Cut" the value is properly deleted.

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### Author: ![Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/florian/32/5759_2.png) [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copying-of-individual-tag-fields-in-extended-tags-alt-t-dialog-seems-broken/44132/2 "2019-01-07T15:19:22Z")

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Have you tried to paste them to another file via the extended tags dialog?

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### Author: ![xRussianBeautyx](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/x/58f4c7/32.png) [@xRussianBeautyx](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/xRussianBeautyx)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copying-of-individual-tag-fields-in-extended-tags-alt-t-dialog-seems-broken/44132/3 "2019-01-07T15:29:03Z")

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> Have you tried to paste them to another file via the extended tags dialog?

This scenario works (though it the destination tag already exists, it doesn't replace the value, but adds a second tag).

These cut/copy/paste commands are quite unconventional, is it technically the best doable?

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### Author: ![Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/florian/32/5759_2.png) [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copying-of-individual-tag-fields-in-extended-tags-alt-t-dialog-seems-broken/44132/4 "2019-01-07T15:31:47Z")

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> [@xRussianBeautyx](#):
>
> This scenario works (though it the destination tag already exists, it doesn't replace the value, but adds a second tag).

This has been discussed before, see

> [@Copy individual fields adds field on paste instead of replacing](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copy-individual-fields-adds-field-on-paste-instead-of-replacing/43740):
>
> As I read it here [Mp3tag v2.91 released](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mp3tag-v2-91-released/43723) there was this new feature And so I installed the new version and when straight to it. And there is a bug apparently: The field is copied - but instead of replacing the existing one, another is created with the same name I tried different fields, both legit and made up by me. I tried coping between two MP3 files and tried combination like e.g. FLAC \> WV, TTA \> MP3. The result was always the same: a creation of a doppelganger. And what is more, I can…

> [@xRussianBeautyx](#):
>
> These cut/copy/paste commands are quite unconventional, is it technically the best doable?

Can you be more specific?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![xRussianBeautyx](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/x/58f4c7/32.png) [@xRussianBeautyx](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/xRussianBeautyx)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copying-of-individual-tag-fields-in-extended-tags-alt-t-dialog-seems-broken/44132/5 "2019-01-07T15:43:17Z")

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I mean being as close as possible as regular copy/cut/paste commands:

- **Copy** would put the tag value in the clipboard
- **Cut** would put the tag value in the clipboard + delete the value
- **Paste** would replace the tag value with what is stored in clipboard

In addition to the [principle of least astonishment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_least_astonishment), this behaviour would make it possible to:

- move values from one tag to another
- paste any plain text, for example from another program

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### Author: ![Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/florian/32/5759_2.png) [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2019, 4:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copying-of-individual-tag-fields-in-extended-tags-alt-t-dialog-seems-broken/44132/6 "2019-01-07T16:51:56Z")

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> [@xRussianBeautyx](#):
>
> - **Copy** would put the tag value in the clipboard
> - **Cut** would put the tag value in the clipboard + delete the value
> - **Paste** would replace the tag value with what is stored in clipboard

I've thought about this quite extensively while implementing the feature. I think it's important to note, that the feature deals with field-value pairs and not only the tag values. Given that we're talking about the same thing, the only differences from your proposal to the current implementation are

1. pasting a field-value pair doesn't replace existing ones. As I've mentioned in the topic linked to above, this is intended behavior. It allows for pasting field-value pairs and adding them to existing ones. Replacing can be done by pasting and removing unwanted entries.

2. When I read between the lines, you wish for a textual representation of the copied/cut field-value pairs in the clipboard so that you can use the data in an external application. This is a feature request and is on my list.

> [@xRussianBeautyx](#):
>
> - move values from one tag to another
> - paste any plain text, for example from another program

This statement makes me doubt that we're talking about the same thing. Can you explain what would be the least astonishment (referring to the principle quoted above) if you copy `this text` to the clipboard and paste it? In my understanding, the text representation would need to follow at least a certain structure, e.g., `FIELD = VALUE` to be processed in a way that makes sense.

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### Author: ![xRussianBeautyx](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/x/58f4c7/32.png) [@xRussianBeautyx](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/xRussianBeautyx)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copying-of-individual-tag-fields-in-extended-tags-alt-t-dialog-seems-broken/44132/7 "2019-01-07T18:05:56Z")

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Indeed, I understood that what is currently copy/pasted is some internally managed field+value set.

> When I read between the lines, you wish for a textual representation of the copied/cut field-value pairs in the clipboard so that you can use the data in an external application. This is a feature request and is on my list.

That's this. If it were up to me, it would put to text clipboard only the tag value. But this wouldn't please everyone. And what about if several tags are selected…

Now that I understand better the situation, I also understand it's more complicated than I initially thought…

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:27pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copying-of-individual-tag-fields-in-extended-tags-alt-t-dialog-seems-broken/44132/8 "2026-02-09T12:27:51Z")

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