Home > Graphic User Interface >
Drag & Drop

Moves the text (In Terminal, copies the text).

• Click and hold for half a second before dragging in Cocoa apps (TextEdit, Mail, Stickies, Script Editor and Help).

Because it's not obvious which apps are Cocoa apps in OS X, this interface inconsistency is made even more frustrating.

Moves the text. Some apps do not support this: NotePad, Command Prompt.

Copies the text into the receiving document.

• Click and hold for half a second before dragging from Cocoa apps (TextEdit, Mail, Stickies, Script Editor and Help).

• NotePad and the command prompt do not support dragging or receiving dragged text.


• Help supports dragging as well as cut and paste, but in either circumstance images and font information are lost. Numbered lists lose their numbers when being dragged to WordPad.

Creates a clipping of that text that can be dragged into other documents to be reused. If dropped into an application that supports rich (styled) text (AND created from an app that supports rich text), then the text will retain its formatting, otherwise the text will be used w/out formatting. Implementation varies from app to app:

• Dragging from Safari creates a clipping of un-styled text.
• Click and hold for half a second before dragging in Cocoa apps (TextEdit, Mail, Stickies, Script Editor and Help).

Not supported in NotePad or Outlook Express. Dragging from WordPad creates a scrap object, that can only be dragged back into WordPad. (Dragging scrap objects into NotePad displays garbage text.) No other bundled apps support dragging text to the desktop.

Moves the text (Safari). In Mozilla and OmniWeb, moves the text. Not supported in Internet Explorer.

Moves the text.

Opens the URL in the window. (Apps tested: Stickies, TextEdit)

Not supported in Internet Explorer. (Apps tested: NotePad, WordPad) WordPad to Mozilla works.

Displays the image and its path on the server in the Address box.

Displays the image and its path in the local cache in the Address box.

Copies the image onto your desktop. The image (in ghosted form) drags with the mouse to indicate the action that is about to occur.

Behavior varies. If the image is enclosed within a hyperlink, a shortcut to the hyperlink is dragged to the desktop. Otherwise, the image is copied to the desktop.

Moves the item to that location (if it's a folder shortcut), or opens the item with that shortcut (if it's an application).

Though XP doesn't support dragging icons onto a window's toolbar, you can drag icons onto a windows Links bar to add them. However, these icons don't behave as true proxies: you cannot drop an icon onto a folder icon in your Links bar in order to move that item into that folder.

After a short pause, other toolbar icons will slide out of the way so that you may permanently add this item to the toolbar. Sidebar items can be added immediately (a horizontal blue line appears to indicate where the item will be added).

Not supported.

Moves the folder to wherever you release. (Wait for the icon to highlight before dragging. This helps prevent accidentally moving a folder.) Hold down the Option key to copy. Hold down -option to make an alias.

Creates a shortcut of the folder wherever you release. Hold down the Ctrl key to copy.

Mail attaches them to the message.

Outlook Express attaches them to the message.

Mail attaches the folder and its contents to the message.

Outlook Express displays an error stating that directories cannot be dropped into mail messages. It then asks if you would like to make a shortcut to the directory. Outlook also exhibits this behavior.

Attempts to paste the contents of the items into the document. If the items are folders, it asks if you want to copy them or create aliases to the enclosed contents.

If the application does not support styled text, the icons slide back to their original position, indicating that the action is not permissible. In Terminal, the paths to all of the documents will be pasted.

Note: Copying and pasting a group of files pastes a list of the files.

Dragging a list of items (as well as copying and pasting that group) attempts to paste the contents of the items into the document. If the list contains a folder, an error will be generated. If the application does not support styled text and the items being dropped contain styled text or are images, garbage text will be pasted. In Command Prompt, the path to the item you first dragged will be pasted. Other selected items will be ignored.

Sets it as your desktop picture.

Not supported.

Sets the pictures as your user icon.

Not supported.

Dock icon will highlight to indicate whether the application can open that document. When released over a supporting application, the document opens within that application. When released over a non-supporting application, the icon slides back to its point of origin, indicating the abandonment of an action. Hold down -option while dragging over an application that doesn't recognize the document format to force it to open the document.

The taskbar is divided into Quick Launch icons and open/minimized windows. These two sections behave differently when dropping an item on them.

Taskbar Quick Launch icons do not highlight to indicate whether such an action is possible. When released over a supporting application, the document opens within that application. When released over a non-supporting application, an error message is generated that requires your attention to dismiss. Not all filetypes behave predictably. For instance, an .htm file cannot be dropped on an Internet Explorer Quick Launch icon, even if Internet Explorer is set as the default application for .htm files (although it can be dropped on a FrontPage Quick Launch icon). Text files (.txt) cannot be dropped on a Word Quick Launch icon or desktop shortcut even though Word is capable of opening such files.

When dropping a file onto a minimized icon in the toolbar an error message is generated:

"You cannot drop an item onto a button on the taskbar.

However, if you drag the item over a button without releasing the mouse button, the window will open after a moment, allowing you to drop the item inside the window."

Press the command key, then drag menu extras left or right - surrounding items will slide out of the way, creating a space for you to drop the menu extra. Drag a menu extra downward off of the menu bar to remove it entirely (complete with a puff of smoke). The Spotlight icon cannot be moved.

Not supported.

Press and hold the command key to drag-reorder toolbar icons. Drag icons off of the toolbar to remove them. Sidebar items can be reordered or removed in the same fashion without using any additional keys - just drag and drop.

Not supported.

Drag left or right to reorder dock icons. Surrounding icons will slide out of the way to create space for the icon being dragged. Drag an icon off of the dock entirely to remove it, complete with a puff of smoke. Command-drag an item off of the dock to physically move that item to another location (i.e., command-dragging Mail's icon to the desktop will physically move Mail.app there).

Quick Launch items will be reordered when moved left to right. An I-bar appears to visually indicate where the icon will be placed when the mouse button is released. Dragging an icon off of the Quick Launch bar moves the shortcut from the bar to wherever you let go.

OS X has no equivalent to the Start menu, so such a comparison is a stretch. Adding your Applications folder to the dock is the closest approximation to the Start menu; you can drag items to this folder to move them there, though you cannot drag items out in this fashion.

Items can freely be dragged into or out of the Start Menu. When dragging an icon onto the menu, it will pop up, allowing you to navigate to submenus in which you can drop the icon. Drag with the right mouse button and release, and a contextual menu will appear giving you choice, such as Move Here or Cancel.

Although icons can be dragged in to the favorite applications section of the Start menu (above the All Programs menu), they cannot be dragged out. To remove them, right-click and select "Remove from This List."

Releasing immediately moves the item into the folder. In all views, folders will spring open after a short delay, allowing you to navigate to subfolders. You can continue opening "spring-loaded" folders until you've arrived at where you want to release the item. If you've accidentally opened the wrong folder, just drag your item out of the folder window and it will close.

Releasing immediately moves the item into the folder. In Explorer View only (click the Folders icon in the toolbar), folders will spring open after a short delay, allowing you to navigate to subfolders. You can continue opening "spring-loaded" folders until you've arrived at where you want to release the item. If you accidentally open the wrong folder, it will remain open until you close it manually.

Prints the item to that printer, without presenting a print dialog.

Results vary:

• .txt (prints)
• .doc (opens Word, prints, closes)
• .pdf (prints)
• .jpg (prints, fills page)
• .gif (error message)

Prints a list of the folder contents, and presents a print dialog.

Not supported, though this functionality can be created via a script. Create a script with the following code:

dir /oed %1 > prn

Notifies you that it will add the card to your Address Book. If the name of the person in the incoming vCard matches a name of a person in your address book, it is considered a duplicate card. In that case, it asks you if you would like to review changes or update your original. If you want to review changes, you are presented with a visual comparison of the two cards. You can review the differences and select which to keep (Keep Old, Keep New, Keep Both, or Update).

Allows you to review the card before adding it to your Address Book. If the name and email are the same, it considers it a duplicate and asks if you'd like to update the card. If only the name is the same as an existing card, it is not considered a duplicate, so it will be imported.

Adds the contact to your buddy list, and displays them as their full name if that information is stored in their address card.

Not supported.

Not supported.

Creates a toolbar out of the folder.

Adds the link to your bookmarks.

Adds the link to your favorites.

Safari by default only saves the HTML when saving a webpage, not the images. You can save webpages as a "Web Archive," which will package all their associated files together; however, this .webarchive file can only be opened by Safari.

An associated folder containing all the images that go with the HTML file will move with it.

Not supported.

Opens the file in the application.

Displays a dialog where you can crop the image, choose a differnent image to use from the filesystem, or - if you have a webcam - take a video snapshot (useful for setting your own picture). PDF images are even supported.

Not supported.

Pastes the recipient's email address.

Not supported.