Add Write System Clipboard To A File as a Mac TIL

README.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ pairing with smart people at Hashrocket.
 
 For a steady stream of TILs, [sign up for my newsletter](https://crafty-builder-6996.ck.page/e169c61186).
 
-_1522 TILs and counting..._
+_1523 TILs and counting..._
 
 ---
 
@@ -637,6 +637,7 @@ _1522 TILs and counting..._
 - [Specify App When Opening From Command Line](mac/specify-app-when-opening-from-command-line.md)
 - [Use Default Screenshot Shortcuts With CleanShot X](mac/use-default-screenshot-shortcuts-with-cleanshot-x.md)
 - [View All Windows Of The Current App](mac/view-all-windows-of-the-current-app.md)
+- [Write System Clipboard To A File](mac/write-system-clipboard-to-a-file.md)
 
 ### MongoDB
 

mac/write-system-clipboard-to-a-file.md

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Write System Clipboard To A File
+
+MacOS has two CLI utilities `pbcopy` and `pbpaste` which, respectively, copy
+_to_ and paste _from_ the system clipboard via the CLI.
+
+Let's say I've just copied a large block of text from somewhere onto my system
+clipboard. I now want to paste that into a new file. Instead of creating a new
+file, opening it up in my preferred editor, pasting all that text, and saving
+the file, I can run one small command from the CLI.
+
+```bash
+$ pbpaste > data.txt
+```
+
+This redirects the contents of `pbpaste` (which is the system clipboard) into
+the file `data.txt`. If that file doesn't already exist, then it will be
+created before the data is written to it.
+
+See `man pbpaste` for more details.