From a user’s perspective, you just position the mouse cursor over an ESL object, press and hold the appropriate mouse button, drag (move the mouse) to the target object, and drop (release the mouse button) to manipulate application data and objects.

The term  application object is used throughout this chapter to refer to the abstract objects that your end-users conceptually manipulate in your application. For instance, a system to automate banking loans might present the following application objects to the user: customers, loan applications, accounts, a printer, and an  outbox. Do not confuse this term with the term ESL object, which refers to a region, key, or dialog control on the screen. You may use ESL objects to represent or display application objects, but they are not the same as application objects.

A drag operation can represent many functions in an application. The following lists some examples:

•Drag a report to a printer to print the report.

•Drag a report to an outbox icon to send a copy of the report to someone.

•Drag an employee object from one window to another to represent a departmental transfer for that employee.

•Drag from a template invoice object to a window to create a new invoice.

•Drag the name of a customer from a list box to a printer to print a report on that customer.

•Drag from a color palette to a picture of an automobile to specify the color of the car a customer wants to purchase.

•Drag a customer object to a dialog window to fill in information about that customer.

•Drag a filled-out application to a folder icon to update a database with the application information.