Patent ID: 6535930
Filing Date: 2003-03-18
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A machine readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a digital processing system causes said system to perform a method of manipulating data between application programs of said system, said method comprising:selecting a first item in a first window, said first window under control of a first process, said 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; dragging said selected first item to a second window, said second window under control of a second process, said second process comprising at least one action the second process is capable of performing, each action specified to perform using data in at least one associated format, one of the at least one action identified as a first action, the second process capable of utilizing data for purposes other than conversion of data; dropping said selected first item in said second window while said first item is located at said second window; communicating to the second process formats in which first data from said first item can be provided by the first process; said second process receiving an identification of the formats in which first data from said first item can be provided and determining if said second process can perform the first action based upon a first data from the first item in a first format of the formats in which first data from said first item can be provided; and if the second process can perform the first action based upon the first data from the first item in the first format, i. notifying the first process to communicate the first data in the first format to the second process, ii. said first process communicating the first data in the first format to the second process, and iii. said second process receiving first data from said first process in said first format and performing said first action using the first data in said first format received from said first process.