Patent ID: 8302021

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; a memory coupled to the at least one processor; and a pointer drag path mechanism residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the pointer drag path mechanism comprising a pointer that allows a user to select an existing first object that represents a first operator by performing a pointer selection, the pointer drag path mechanism picking up while the pointer remains selected from selecting the first object at least one attribute from a second object without the user performing any additional pointer selection or deselection, the second object representing a first operand that is in a drag path of the first object while the first object remains selected by the pointer, and dropping the first object onto a third object by performing a pointer deselection, thereby operating on the first operand with the first operator, wherein the third object represents a second operand and the dropping of the first object onto the third object by performing a pointer deselection results in operating on the first and second operands with the first operator.