Method and apparatus for improved interaction with an application program according to data types and actions performed by the application program

An apparatus for manipulating data between application programs in a computer-controlled display system comprising:

• a first process operating in the computer-controlled display system, said process capable of providing data from a first item in a plurality of formats to a receiving process, the first process capable of using data for a purpose other than conversion;
• a first window, said first window under control of the first process;
• a second process operating on the computer-controlled display system, said second process comprising at least one action Me second process is capable of performing, each action specified to perform data in at least one associated format, one of the at least one action identified as a primary action, the second process capable of using data for purposes other than conversion of data;
• a second window, under control of the second process;
• a selection device for a user selecting a first item in the first window, dragging said selected first item to a second window and deselecting said selected first item while said first item is located at said selected window;
• said first process, communicating to the second process formats in which first data from said first item can be provided;
• said second process receiving the formats in which first data from said first item can be provided, and determining if said second process can perform a primary action based upon data from the first item in one of the formats specified by the first process, and, if so, receiving data in the format associated with the primary action and performing said primary action using the data of said first item in said format associated with the primary action received from said first process.

A method of manipulating data between application programs in a computer-controlled display system comprising:

• a user selecting a first item in a first window, the first window under control of a first process, the first process capable of providing data from the first item to a receiving process in a plurality of formats, the first process capable of using data for a purpose other than conversion;
• the user dragging the selected first item to a second window, the second window under control of a second process, the second process comprising a plurality of actions the second process is capable of performing, each action specified to perform using data in at least one associated format, the second process capable of using data for purposes other than conversion of data;
• the user deselecting the selected first item while the first item is located at the second window;
• communicating to the second process an identification of formats in which first data from the first item can be provided;
• the second process receiving the identification of formats in which first data from the first item may be provided;
• the second process determining an action of the plurality of actions having an associated format that is one of the formats in which first data from the first item can be provided;
• notifying the first process to communicate the first data in the associated format to the second process;
• the first process communicating the first data in the associated format to the second process;
• and
• the second process receiving first data from the first process in the associated format and performing the action determined using the first data in the associated format received from the first process.