Enhance your Workflow with Text drag and drop

✎ Published: 2005-11-22 10:30:30

Learn how to effectively use text drag and drop functions in Mac OS X, which differ between Carbon and Cocoa applications. Carbon allows straightforward dragging, while Cocoa requires a brief pause after selecting text. Additional details explain how different applications respond when dragging text onto their dock symbols, potentially enhancing your workflow.

Enhance your Workflow with Text drag and drop

Text Drag and Drop Enhance your workflow to a certain degree by using the built-in text drag and drop functions of Mac OS X
I've to admit that it happened to me from time to time that I could drag and drop text contents within Mac OS X, but when I tried again the other day the selection would just change; this seemed, to me, like a weird behaviour and I couldn't find any pattern in it.
Thank god this article taught me better, there're basically 2 distinct ways to use text drag and drop - based on which framework the application is built on (which sounds like a _total_ UI mess to me btw.):

  • Carbon Applications allow you to just drag and drop selected text onto any target
  • In order to do the same with Cocoa Applications you need to select the text, press the mouse button, and wait about one second before you start to move it, otherwise it'll just change the selection.

The article adds even more details, like for example how different applications act if you drag and drop text directly onto their dock symbols.
Really worth the read; I think some of these tipps could greatly enhance my workflow in Mac OS X - if I remember to use them, that is.

Mac OS X Hints: Text-dragging tips