Fix copy to clipboard STA thread issue & Support retry for copy & Async build-in shortcut model

Flow.Launcher.Infrastructure/NativeMethods.txt

@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ MONITORINFOEXW
 WM_ENTERSIZEMOVE
 WM_EXITSIZEMOVE
 
+OleInitialize
+OleUninitialize
+
 GetKeyboardLayout
 GetWindowThreadProcessId
 ActivateKeyboardLayout
@@ -53,4 +56,4 @@ INPUTLANGCHANGE_FORWARD
 LOCALE_TRANSIENT_KEYBOARD1
 LOCALE_TRANSIENT_KEYBOARD2
 LOCALE_TRANSIENT_KEYBOARD3
-LOCALE_TRANSIENT_KEYBOARD4
+LOCALE_TRANSIENT_KEYBOARD4

Flow.Launcher.Infrastructure/UserSettings/CustomShortcutModel.cs

@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 using System;
 using System.Text.Json.Serialization;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
 
 namespace Flow.Launcher.Infrastructure.UserSettings
 {
+    #region Base
+
     public abstract class ShortcutBaseModel
     {
         public string Key { get; set; }
 
-        [JsonIgnore]
-        public Func<string> Expand { get; set; } = () => { return ""; };
-
         public override bool Equals(object obj)
         {
             return obj is ShortcutBaseModel other &&
@@ -22,16 +22,14 @@ public override int GetHashCode()
         }
     }
 
-    public class CustomShortcutModel : ShortcutBaseModel
+    public class BaseCustomShortcutModel : ShortcutBaseModel
     {
         public string Value { get; set; }
 
-        [JsonConstructorAttribute]
-        public CustomShortcutModel(string key, string value)
+        public BaseCustomShortcutModel(string key, string value)
         {
             Key = key;
             Value = value;
-            Expand = () => { return Value; };
         }
 
         public void Deconstruct(out string key, out string value)
@@ -40,26 +38,69 @@ public void Deconstruct(out string key, out string value)
             value = Value;
         }
 
-        public static implicit operator (string Key, string Value)(CustomShortcutModel shortcut)
+        public static implicit operator (string Key, string Value)(BaseCustomShortcutModel shortcut)
         {
             return (shortcut.Key, shortcut.Value);
         }
 
-        public static implicit operator CustomShortcutModel((string Key, string Value) shortcut)
+        public static implicit operator BaseCustomShortcutModel((string Key, string Value) shortcut)
         {
-            return new CustomShortcutModel(shortcut.Key, shortcut.Value);
+            return new BaseCustomShortcutModel(shortcut.Key, shortcut.Value);
         }
     }
 
-    public class BuiltinShortcutModel : ShortcutBaseModel
+    public class BaseBuiltinShortcutModel : ShortcutBaseModel
     {
         public string Description { get; set; }
 
-        public BuiltinShortcutModel(string key, string description, Func<string> expand)
+        public BaseBuiltinShortcutModel(string key, string description)
         {
             Key = key;
             Description = description;
-            Expand = expand ?? (() => { return ""; });
         }
     }
+
+    #endregion
+
+    #region Custom Shortcut
+
+    public class CustomShortcutModel : BaseCustomShortcutModel
+    {
+        [JsonIgnore]
+        public Func<string> Expand { get; set; } = () => { return string.Empty; };
+
+        [JsonConstructor]
+        public CustomShortcutModel(string key, string value) : base(key, value)
+        {
+            Expand = () => { return Value; };
+        }
+    }
+
+    #endregion
+
+    #region Buildin Shortcut
+
+    public class BuiltinShortcutModel : BaseBuiltinShortcutModel
+    {
+        [JsonIgnore]
+        public Func<string> Expand { get; set; } = () => { return string.Empty; };
+
+        public BuiltinShortcutModel(string key, string description, Func<string> expand) : base(key, description)
+        {
+            Expand = expand ?? (() => { return string.Empty; });
+        }
+    }
+
+    public class AsyncBuiltinShortcutModel : BaseBuiltinShortcutModel
+    {
+        [JsonIgnore]
+        public Func<Task<string>> ExpandAsync { get; set; } = () => { return Task.FromResult(string.Empty); };
+
+        public AsyncBuiltinShortcutModel(string key, string description, Func<Task<string>> expandAsync) : base(key, description)
+        {
+            ExpandAsync = expandAsync ?? (() => { return Task.FromResult(string.Empty); });
+        }
+    }
+
+    #endregion
 }

Flow.Launcher.Infrastructure/UserSettings/Settings.cs

@@ -295,9 +295,9 @@ public bool KeepMaxResults
         public ObservableCollection<CustomShortcutModel> CustomShortcuts { get; set; } = new ObservableCollection<CustomShortcutModel>();
 
         [JsonIgnore]
-        public ObservableCollection<BuiltinShortcutModel> BuiltinShortcuts { get; set; } = new()
+        public ObservableCollection<BaseBuiltinShortcutModel> BuiltinShortcuts { get; set; } = new()
         {
-            new BuiltinShortcutModel("{clipboard}", "shortcut_clipboard_description", Clipboard.GetText),
+            new AsyncBuiltinShortcutModel("{clipboard}", "shortcut_clipboard_description", () => Win32Helper.StartSTATaskAsync(Clipboard.GetText)),
             new BuiltinShortcutModel("{active_explorer_path}", "shortcut_active_explorer_path", FileExplorerHelper.GetActiveExplorerPath)
         };
 

Flow.Launcher.Infrastructure/Win32Helper.cs

@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.Globalization;
 using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using System.Windows;
 using System.Windows.Interop;
 using System.Windows.Media;
@@ -333,6 +335,78 @@ internal static HWND GetWindowHandle(Window window, bool ensure = false)
 
         #endregion
 
+        #region STA Thread
+
+        /*
+        Inspired by https://github.com/files-community/Files code on STA Thread handling.
+        */
+
+        public static Task StartSTATaskAsync(Action action)
+        {
+            var taskCompletionSource = new TaskCompletionSource();
+            Thread thread = new(() =>
+            {
+                PInvoke.OleInitialize();
+
+                try
+                {
+                    action();
+                    taskCompletionSource.SetResult();
+                }
+                catch (System.Exception ex)
+                {
+                    taskCompletionSource.SetException(ex);
+                }
+                finally
+                {
+                    PInvoke.OleUninitialize();
+                }
+            })
+            {
+                IsBackground = true,
+                Priority = ThreadPriority.Normal
+            };
+
+            thread.SetApartmentState(ApartmentState.STA);
+            thread.Start();
+
+            return taskCompletionSource.Task;
+        }
+
+        public static Task<T> StartSTATaskAsync<T>(Func<T> func)
+        {
+            var taskCompletionSource = new TaskCompletionSource<T>();
+
+            Thread thread = new(() =>
+            {
+                PInvoke.OleInitialize();
+
+                try
+                {
+                    taskCompletionSource.SetResult(func());
+                }
+                catch (System.Exception ex)
+                {
+                    taskCompletionSource.SetException(ex);
+                }
+                finally
+                {
+                    PInvoke.OleUninitialize();
+                }
+            })
+            {
+                IsBackground = true,
+                Priority = ThreadPriority.Normal
+            };
+
+            thread.SetApartmentState(ApartmentState.STA);
+            thread.Start();
+
+            return taskCompletionSource.Task;
+        }
+
+        #endregion
+
         #region Keyboard Layout
 
         private const string UserProfileRegistryPath = @"Control Panel\International\User Profile";

Flow.Launcher/Languages/en.xaml

@@ -385,6 +385,7 @@
     <system:String x:Key="newActionKeywordsSameAsOld">This new Action Keyword is the same as old, please choose a different one</system:String>
     <system:String x:Key="success">Success</system:String>
     <system:String x:Key="completedSuccessfully">Completed successfully</system:String>
+    <system:String x:Key="failedToCopy">Failed to copy</system:String>
     <system:String x:Key="actionkeyword_tips">Enter the action keywords you like to use to start the plugin and use whitespace to divide them. Use * if you don't want to specify any, and the plugin will be triggered without any action keywords.</system:String>
 
     <!--  Search Delay Settings Dialog  -->

Flow.Launcher/PublicAPIInstance.cs

@@ -145,35 +145,89 @@ public void ShellRun(string cmd, string filename = "cmd.exe")
             ShellCommand.Execute(startInfo);
         }
 
-        public void CopyToClipboard(string stringToCopy, bool directCopy = false, bool showDefaultNotification = true)
+        public async void CopyToClipboard(string stringToCopy, bool directCopy = false, bool showDefaultNotification = true)
         {
             if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(stringToCopy))
+            {
                 return;
+            }
 
             var isFile = File.Exists(stringToCopy);
             if (directCopy && (isFile || Directory.Exists(stringToCopy)))
             {
-                var paths = new StringCollection
+                // Sometimes the clipboard is locked and cannot be accessed,
+                // we need to retry a few times before giving up
+                var exception = await RetryActionOnSTAThreadAsync(() =>
+                {
+                    var paths = new StringCollection
                     {
                         stringToCopy
                     };
 
-                Clipboard.SetFileDropList(paths);
-
-                if (showDefaultNotification)
-                    ShowMsg(
-                        $"{GetTranslation("copy")} {(isFile ? GetTranslation("fileTitle") : GetTranslation("folderTitle"))}",
-                        GetTranslation("completedSuccessfully"));
+                    Clipboard.SetFileDropList(paths);
+                });
+
+                if (exception == null)
+                {
+                    if (showDefaultNotification)
+                    {
+                        ShowMsg(
+                            $"{GetTranslation("copy")} {(isFile ? GetTranslation("fileTitle") : GetTranslation("folderTitle"))}",
+                            GetTranslation("completedSuccessfully"));
+                    }
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    LogException(nameof(PublicAPIInstance), "Failed to copy file/folder to clipboard", exception);
+                    ShowMsgError(GetTranslation("failedToCopy"));
+                }
             }
             else
             {
-                Clipboard.SetDataObject(stringToCopy);
+                // Sometimes the clipboard is locked and cannot be accessed,
+                // we need to retry a few times before giving up
+                var exception = await RetryActionOnSTAThreadAsync(() =>
+                {
+                    // We shouold use SetText instead of SetDataObject to avoid the clipboard being locked by other applications
+                    Clipboard.SetText(stringToCopy);
+                });
+
+                if (exception == null)
+                {
+                    if (showDefaultNotification)
+                    {
+                        ShowMsg(
+                            $"{GetTranslation("copy")} {GetTranslation("textTitle")}",
+                            GetTranslation("completedSuccessfully"));
+                    }
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    LogException(nameof(PublicAPIInstance), "Failed to copy text to clipboard", exception);
+                    ShowMsgError(GetTranslation("failedToCopy"));
+                }  
+            }
+        }
 
-                if (showDefaultNotification)
-                    ShowMsg(
-                        $"{GetTranslation("copy")} {GetTranslation("textTitle")}",
-                        GetTranslation("completedSuccessfully"));
+        private static async Task<Exception> RetryActionOnSTAThreadAsync(Action action, int retryCount = 6, int retryDelay = 150)
+        {
+            for (var i = 0; i < retryCount; i++)
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    await Win32Helper.StartSTATaskAsync(action);
+                    break;
+                }
+                catch (Exception e)
+                {
+                    if (i == retryCount - 1)
+                    {
+                        return e;
+                    }
+                    await Task.Delay(retryDelay);
+                }
             }
+            return null;
         }
 
         public void StartLoadingBar() => _mainVM.ProgressBarVisibility = Visibility.Visible;