Mac App Interface Examples
June 6, 2019 1:36 PM Subscribe
There are several well-known Mac apps where the app's main window can act as a drop-pad for files/folders to be manipulated in-app. As you drag a file/folder toward the app window, it senses this and changes design to encourage you to drop the item you're dragging. Can anyone think of apps that behave this way?
Also, Giphy's upload page.
posted by General Malaise at 1:49 PM on June 6, 2019
posted by General Malaise at 1:49 PM on June 6, 2019
Response by poster: Transmission: confirmed. Thanks.
More?
posted by Quisp Lover at 1:53 PM on June 6, 2019
More?
posted by Quisp Lover at 1:53 PM on June 6, 2019
Lightroom also does this (as long as you're in the Library module)
posted by jonathanhughes at 1:57 PM on June 6, 2019
posted by jonathanhughes at 1:57 PM on June 6, 2019
Best answer: Adobe InDesign allows you to drag a photo or text file onto its interface for placing in an InDesign document. The change in InDesign's window is subtle, though, not the overt 'drag and drop' interface that you see elsewhere.
A website: WeTransfer.com has a great obvious interface if you're just looking for ideas.
posted by hydra77 at 2:02 PM on June 6, 2019
A website: WeTransfer.com has a great obvious interface if you're just looking for ideas.
posted by hydra77 at 2:02 PM on June 6, 2019
Response by poster: I was just about to use imgur.com as an example, but WeTransfer.com is indeed the most extreme possible version of what I'm saying.
There's got to be a name for it....
posted by Quisp Lover at 2:08 PM on June 6, 2019
There's got to be a name for it....
posted by Quisp Lover at 2:08 PM on June 6, 2019
Dropzone
posted by karbonokapi at 2:45 PM on June 6, 2019
posted by karbonokapi at 2:45 PM on June 6, 2019
There's got to be a name for it....
Generally, an application "registers" user interface components to "listen" for drag events, where the registering element states that it is droppable, i.e., it can receive data of a certain type dropped onto it, like a text or image file.
If you click-and-drag a certain type of packaged data, some applications decide to redraw themselves to tell you that you can drop the file on their components (the application window, say).
The Gmail web application does this with attachments, when a drag event brings a document into the browser's window focus. There is an API in raw Javascript for how this is managed by web applications.
Mac desktop applications can use Apple's AppKit API. iOS applications can use iOS UIKit.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 5:59 PM on June 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
Generally, an application "registers" user interface components to "listen" for drag events, where the registering element states that it is droppable, i.e., it can receive data of a certain type dropped onto it, like a text or image file.
If you click-and-drag a certain type of packaged data, some applications decide to redraw themselves to tell you that you can drop the file on their components (the application window, say).
The Gmail web application does this with attachments, when a drag event brings a document into the browser's window focus. There is an API in raw Javascript for how this is managed by web applications.
Mac desktop applications can use Apple's AppKit API. iOS applications can use iOS UIKit.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 5:59 PM on June 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
Literally every webapp with file upload capability that isn't using ten year old code. Likewise any messenger app you can think of (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc., etc.)
As others have mentioned, image editors, image hosts, email clients. In fact, I find it harder to think of counterexamples...
As others have mentioned, there are well known libraries and APIs that almost all modern websites use now.
posted by turkeyphant at 6:35 PM on June 7, 2019
As others have mentioned, image editors, image hosts, email clients. In fact, I find it harder to think of counterexamples...
As others have mentioned, there are well known libraries and APIs that almost all modern websites use now.
posted by turkeyphant at 6:35 PM on June 7, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jonathanhughes at 1:43 PM on June 6, 2019