Patent ID: 7631320

Claim:
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, said first window under control of a first process; said first process specifying formats in which first data from said first item is provided; said user dragging said selected first item to a second window, said second window under control of a second process comprising a plurality of actions, said plurality of actions comprising a primary action and an alternate action; said user deselecting said selected first item while said first item is located at said second window; said second process requesting said first item in a plurality of said formats specified from said first process; said second process determining if said second process can perform the primary action based upon a first format of said formats of said first item, if so, then receiving data from said first process in said first format and performing said primary action using said first format of said first item from said first process; and performing said alternate action using a second format of said formats of said first item if said second process cannot perform said first action based upon a first format of said first item.