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Dragging Text Between G2 and Other Applications

 On Windows NT platforms, you can also cut and copy text by dragging and dropping it between compatible applications:

Transferring Text From G2

The Edit Operations menu has two options to support dragging and dropping text on Windows NT platforms:

Menu Option Function
copy to OLE
Copies the selected text for pasting. Leaves the original text unchanged when you drop the text.
cut to OLE
Copies the selected text for pasting. Deletes the original text when you drop the text.

To drag and drop text from the editor:

  1. Select the text you want to drag and drop to another application and click to show the Edit Operations menu, shown next.


  2. Choose cut to OLE or copy to OLE to either cut or copy the selected text, but hold the mouse down. The cursor changes to indicate ownership by OLE.

  3. Drag the cursor to the application to which you are transferring the text.

  4. Release the mouse to transfer the text.

    If you chose cut to OLE, the original text in the Text Editor is deleted.

    If you chose copy to OLE, the original text remains in the Text Editor, but is deselected.

Copy to OLE and Cut to OLE work differently from most other menu items. Most menu items perform their action when you click (depress and then release) the mouse. Dragging and dropping text happens with the mouse down. For this reason, the Copy to OLE and Cut to OLE menu choices begin dragging your text as soon as you depress the mouse on the menu option.

To avoid dragging text unintentionally, hold the mouse down until the cursor changes into the drag-in-progress shape (an arrow with a rectangle underneath). Then move the mouse to where you want to drop the text, and release the mouse.

Note: If you try to drop text into an application that does not support OLE text drop, the cursor changes to a backwards slash within a circle, indicating that the action is not allowed.

Transferring OLE Text into G2

You can drag text from any OLE-compliant application or from another G2 into the editor or to other locations within G2.

When text is dragged and dropped into G2, what happens depends on which item the mouse is over at the time of the drop.

If the mouse is... Then...
Over the input section of an edit box
The transferred text is inserted at the caret. If text has been selected already, the transferred text replaces it.
Over an editable attribute in an attribute table
An edit box is opened on that attribute with the transferred text as its initial contents.
Over a text variable or parameter
The transferred text is concluded as the value of the variable or parameter.
Over a workspace
A free-text item is created with the transferred text and dropped onto the workspace. You cannot drop text on to a non-kb workspace item, such as the logbook, even though the prohibit cursor does not appear.
Not over any of the above
The drop fails.

Dragging and Dropping G2 Items

In addition to the cut to OLE and copy to OLE text operations, you can also drag and drop G2 items between one G2 process and another. This feature is described in Chapter 51, G2 to G2 Interface.

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