Allow copying an image result from Python Interactive window

Environment data

• VS Code version: 1.30.2
• Extension version (available under the Extensions sidebar): 2018.12.1
• OS and version: Ubuntu 18.04
• Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): Anaconda Python 3.7.2
• Type of virtual environment used (N/A | venv | virtualenv | conda | …): conda
• Relevant/affected Python packages and their versions: None

Expected behaviour

It’d be great if Python plots within the IDE could be copied to the clipboard. I’d expect right-click to show a menu with “Copy” as an option, for example.

Copying pasting quick plots into Slack/e-mail is super convenient for sharing intermediate results with colleagues.

Actual behaviour

Copying code from Python Interactive works (including rich formatting), but copying images does not. Right-clicking on the image does not show a menu. Selecting the image as part of the surrounding code does not include the image.

Workaround: Take screenshot, paste into image editor, crop, copy-paste the crop, close image editor.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Paste this into a .py script

#%%
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
plt.plot(x, np.sin(x))

1. Click “Run Cell” in the editor.
2. Try to copy the resulting plot to the clipboard.

[bpops]

I didn’t want to create a new issue, but it appears some of the functionality discussed herein is further broken in the new vs code notebooks. Also, my main way of using plots before, dragging them out of vs code directly into powerpoint, no longer works. I must drag them into a windows explorer folder and then into powerpoint.

[andreimargeloiu]

It’s 2021, it would be good to be able to copy the figures from the interactive figure viewer…