Enabling user interactions between user interface components

A method for enabling user interactions between user interface components, the method comprising:

• detecting an initial user input event to a graphical user interface (“GUI”), the initial user input event associated with a user interaction between a source user interface component displayed in the GUI and a target user interface component displayed in the GUI, the source user interface component and the target user interface component occupying separate event domains;
• placing a transparent user interface component over the target user interface component in response to the initial user input event, the transparent user interface component occupying the same event domain as the source user interface component;
• detecting an interaction user input event to the transparent user interface component, the interaction user input event continuing the user interaction between the source user interface component and the target user interface component;
• and
• communicating information of the user interaction to the target user interface component using a communications channel supported by the target user interface component.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable non-transitory storage medium having computer readable program code executing to perform operations for enabling user interactions between user interface components, the operations of the computer program product comprising:

• detecting an initial user input event to a graphical user interface (“GUI”), the initial user input event associated with a user interaction between a source user interface component displayed in the GUI and a target user interface component displayed in the GUI, the source user interface component and the target user interface component occupying separate event domains;
• placing a transparent user interface component over the target user interface component in response to the initial user input event, the transparent user interface component occupying the same event domain as the source user interface component;
• detecting an interaction user input event to the transparent user interface component, the interaction user input event continuing the user interaction between the source user interface component and the target user interface component;
• and
• communicating information of the user interaction to the target user interface component using a communications channel supported by the target user interface component.

An apparatus to enable user interactions between user interface components, the apparatus comprising:

• an initial event module configured to detect an initial user input event to a graphical user interface (“GUI”), the initial user input event associated with a user interaction between a source software application shell displayed in the GUI and a target software application shell displayed in the GUI, the source software application shell and the target software application shell occupying separate event domains, wherein the user interaction between the source software application shell and the target software application shell comprises a drag-and-drop user interaction and the initial user input event comprises dragging an item from the source software application shell;
• a transparent component module configured to place an invisible software application shell over the target software application shell in response to the initial user input event, the invisible software application shell occupying the same event domain as the source software application shell;
• an interaction event module configured to detect an interaction user input event to the invisible software application shell, the interaction user input event continuing the user interaction between the source software application shell and the target software application shell, wherein the interaction user input event comprises dropping the item over the target software application shell such that the invisible software application shell intercepts the interaction user input event;
• a removal module configured to remove the invisible software application shell from the target software application shell in response to the interaction user input event;
• a translation module configured to determine information of the user interaction by translating the initialization user input event and the interaction user input event into a format supported by the target software application shell;
• and
• an interaction communication module configured to communicate the information of the user interaction to the target software application shell using a communications channel supported by the target software application shell,
• wherein at least a portion of the initial event module, the transparent component module, the interaction event module, the removal module, the translation module and the interaction communication module comprise one or more of hardware and computer readable program code, the computer readable program code stored on one or more computer readable non-transitory storage media.