Clipping is used by Win32-based applications in a variety of ways. Word processing and spreadsheet applications clip keyboard input to keep it from appearing in the margins of a page or spreadsheet. Computer-aided design (CAD) and drawing applications clip graphics output to keep it from overwriting the edges of a drawing or picture.
A clipping region is a region with edges that are either straight lines or curves. A clip path is a region with edges that are straight lines, Bézier curves, or combinations of both. For more information about regions, see Regions. For more information about paths, see Paths.