EasyTableCopy

EasyTableCopy is an NVDA add-on designed to solve a common frustration: copying tables or lists from the Web or from Windows into documents (like Word, Excel, or Outlook) without losing formatting, borders, or structure.

1. Key Features

• Dual Copy Engine: Choose between "Standard" mode for best visual fidelity or "Reconstructed" mode for guaranteed structure integrity.
• Web List Support: Copy lists from web pages with two options — preserve original formatting (fonts, colors, links) or copy as a clean plain list.
• Smart Selection: Easily select non-adjacent rows or specific columns to copy.
• Desktop & Explorer Support: Instantly convert File Explorer lists or application views into copyable tables. Copy specific columns or combinations of columns.
• TreeView Hierarchical Copy: Copy nested tree structures (like the Input Gestures dialog) with proper indentation and expansion states.
• Cell-Level Copying: Quickly copy individual cell content without the surrounding table structure.
• Table Statistics: Get instant information about table dimensions (row and column count) anywhere.
• Audio Feedback: Distinct sounds and speech messages keep you informed about the copying process.

2. Web Mode (Browsers)

This feature works in Browse Mode within web browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, etc.).

A. The Table Copy Menu

Navigate inside any table on a website and press NVDA + Alt + T to open the action menu.

• Copy Table (Standard): Uses the browser's native copy function. Pros: Preserves exact fonts, background colors, and links. Cons: Relies on the browser; empty cells might collapse in some target applications.
• Copy Table (Reconstructed): The "Safe Mode." The add-on ignores the browser and manually rebuilds the table from scratch. Pros: Guarantees that empty cells are filled (preserving borders) and enforces grid lines. Cons: May lose complex CSS styling (like rounded corners).
• Copy Current Row: Copies only the row where your cursor is located (Standard mode).
• Copy Current Column: Manually extracts and copies the vertical column where your cursor is located.

B. The List Copy Menu

Navigate inside any list on a website (bulleted or numbered) and press NVDA + Alt + T to open the list copy menu.

• Copy List (With Formatting): Uses the browser's native copy function. Pros: Preserves exact fonts, colors, links, and all other original styling. Cons: Relies on the browser.
• Copy List (Plain): The add-on reads the list items and builds a clean <ul><li> structure. Pros: Produces a clean, portable list. Each item is on its own line in plain text. Cons: Original visual styling (fonts, colors) is not preserved.

C. Smart Selection (Marking)

You can select specific items to copy in a batch. Note: You can mark Rows OR Columns, but not both simultaneously.

How to Copy Specific Rows:

1. Navigate to a row you want to copy.
2. Press Control + Alt + Space. NVDA will confirm: "Row Marked."
3. Move to another row and repeat.
4. Open the menu (NVDA + Alt + T) and select "Copy Marked".

How to Copy Specific Columns:

1. Navigate to a cell within the column you want.
2. Press Control + Alt + Shift + Space. NVDA will confirm: "Column Marked."
3. Repeat for other columns.
4. Open the menu and select "Copy Marked".

Note: To clear your selections, press Control + Alt + Windows + Space or use the "Clear Selections" option in the menu.

D. Additional Web Features

• Copy Marked Rows as Text: After marking rows, you can copy them as plain text without table structure using the Copy Marked as Text command (no default key, assign in Input Gestures).
• Copy Current Cell: Quickly copy the content of the current cell using the Copy Current Cell command.

3. Desktop, Explorer & TreeView Mode (Windows)

EasyTableCopy also works in File Explorer, standard list views, and hierarchical trees.

A. Quick List & Tree Copy

1. Focus on a list (e.g., a folder) or a tree item (e.g., Input Gestures).
2. Press NVDA + Alt + T.
3. Result for Lists: The entire list is converted into a structured table (with headers like Name, Date, Type) and copied to your clipboard.
4. Result for Trees: The entire tree is scanned from the root and copied as a hierarchical list with indentation.
5. [+] indicates a collapsed branch.
6. [-] indicates an expanded branch.

B. Column-Specific Copying (Desktop & Explorer Only)

You can copy individual columns or combinations of columns from any desktop list or Explorer view. These commands only work in desktop contexts (not in web browsers).

How to use:

1. Focus on any list or Explorer window.
2. Press the key you've assigned to the desired column command (no default keys — assign in Input Gestures).
3. The selected columns will be copied as a table with headers.

C. Table Statistics in Desktop Mode

Press the Table Statistics command (no default key) to hear:

• Number of items in the folder/list
• Number of columns displayed

4. Universal Features (Work Everywhere)

A. Table Statistics

Use the Table Statistics command anywhere (web, desktop, Explorer) to get instant information about the current table or list:

• Number of rows/items
• Number of columns

The add-on intelligently samples large tables to provide quick and accurate information without performance lag.

B. Copy Current Cell

Use the Copy Current Cell command anywhere to quickly copy just the content of the current cell without the surrounding table structure. Perfect for:

• Copying specific values from web tables
• Extracting single items from lists
• Quick data entry tasks

5. Shortcuts Cheat Sheet

(You can customize all shortcuts in NVDA Menu → Preferences → Input Gestures → EasyTableCopy)

Default Shortcuts

No Default Shortcuts (Assign Your Own)

6. Important Notes

• Excel/Calc Protection: The add-on automatically disables itself in Excel and similar applications to prevent conflicts with native copy functions.
• Selection Limitations: You cannot mix row and column selections. Choose either rows OR columns, but not both.
• Large Tables: The add-on handles large tables efficiently. For very large web tables, statistics are calculated using sampling for optimal performance.
• Web vs Desktop: Some commands are context-specific (web-only or desktop-only) to ensure reliable operation. Commands that don't apply in the current context are simply ignored.
• Tree Loading: In some TreeViews, items that have never been expanded might not be available to NVDA until they are accessed.

7. Feedback and Contributions

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvement, please visit the add-on's repository or contact the author.