Graphical icon manipulation

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for graphical icon manipulation. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving a user input that corresponds to a selection of a graphical item that is located in a first portion of the graphical interface. The actions further include receiving a translation input that corresponds to a drag of the graphical item. The actions further include determining that a location of the selection input is in a second portion of the graphical interface. The actions further include updating the graphical item by providing, in place of the graphical item, a representation of a change to the graphical item based on the graphical item being placed in the second portion. The actions further include determining that the selection input has ceased. The actions further include providing, for output, the change to the graphical item.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, through a graphical interface presented at a client device, a user input indicating that a graphical element is being interacted with and dragged from a first application, wherein the graphical element links to two or more different types of data;   while the interaction with the graphical element continues, and in response to detecting that the graphical element has been dragged into a portion of the graphical interface that is presenting a second application that differs from the first application:
 determining that the second application recognizes a subset of different data types from among the two or more different types of data linked to by the graphical element, wherein the subset excludes at least one data type from among the two or more data types linked to by the graphical element; and 
 changing a visual appearance of the graphical element based on the subset of different data types, wherein the visual appearance is changed to visually indicate at least one of the different data types in the subset of different data types; and 
   in response to detecting a drop of the graphical element into the second application, creating, in the second application, a new element that is linked to the at least one data type linked to by the graphical element and recognized by the second application.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical interface presents the first application in a first portion of a display of the client device and the graphical interface presents the second application in a second portion of the display of the client device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising:
 in response to receiving, through the graphical interface, the user input indicating that a graphical element is being interacted with and dragged from a first application, accessing an object represented by the graphical item;   receiving, from the first application, first instructions for rendering the graphical element while receiving the selection input based on a first type of data, from among the two or more data types linked to by the graphical element; and   rendering the graphical element according to the first instructions while the graphical element is within the first portion of the display of the client device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , comprising:
 in response to detecting that the graphical element has been dragged into the second portion of the graphical interface receiving, from the second application, second instructions for rendering the graphical element based on a second type of data, from among the two or more data types linked to by the graphical element; and   rendering the graphical element according to the second instructions while the graphical element is hovered in the second portion of the graphical interface and the selection input continues to be received.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 determining that the second application recognizes a subset of different data types from among the two or more different types of data linked to by the graphical element comprises that the second application recognizes two or more different data types; and   changing a visual appearance of the graphical element based on the subset of different data types comprises segmenting the graphical element into different sections, with each section corresponding to a respective data type from among the two or more different data types.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein each respective segment has a different appearance based on the respective data type corresponding to the respective segment. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising in response to user interaction with a given respective segment, linking the graphical element to the respective data type corresponding to the given respective segment within the second application. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, through a graphical interface presented at a client device, a user input indicating that a graphical element is being interacted with and dragged from a first application, wherein the graphical element links to two or more different types of data; 
 while the interaction with the graphical element continues, and in response to detecting that the graphical element has been dragged into a portion of the graphical interface that is presenting a second application that differs from the first application:
 determining that the second application recognizes a subset of different data types from among the two or more different types of data linked to by the graphical element, wherein the subset excludes at least one data type from among the two or more data types linked to by the graphical element; and 
 changing a visual appearance of the graphical element based on the subset of different data types, wherein the visual appearance is changed to visually indicate at least one of the different data types in the subset of different data types; and 
 
 in response to detecting a drop of the graphical element into the second application, creating, in the second application, a new element that is linked to the at least one data type linked to by the graphical element and recognized by the second application. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the graphical interface presents the first application in a first portion of a display of the client device and the graphical interface presents the second application in a second portion of the display of the client device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 in response to receiving, through the graphical interface, the user input indicating that a graphical element is being interacted with and dragged from a first application, accessing an object represented by the graphical item;   receiving, from the first application, first instructions for rendering the graphical element while receiving the selection input based on a first type of data, from among the two or more data types linked to by the graphical element; and   rendering the graphical element according to the first instructions while the graphical element is within the first portion of the display of the client device.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 in response to detecting that the graphical element has been dragged into the second portion of the graphical interface receiving, from the second application, second instructions for rendering the graphical element based on a second type of data, from among the two or more data types linked to by the graphical element; and   rendering the graphical element according to the second instructions while the graphical element is hovered in the second portion of the graphical interface and the selection input continues to be received.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 determining that the second application recognizes a subset of different data types from among the two or more different types of data linked to by the graphical element comprises that the second application recognizes two or more different data types; and   changing a visual appearance of the graphical element based on the subset of different data types comprises segmenting the graphical element into different sections, with each section corresponding to a respective data type from among the two or more different data types.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein each respective segment has a different appearance based on the respective data type corresponding to the respective segment. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising in response to user interaction with a given respective segment, linking the graphical element to the respective data type corresponding to the given respective segment within the second application. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, through a graphical interface presented at a client device, a user input indicating that a graphical element is being interacted with and dragged from a first application, wherein the graphical element links to two or more different types of data;   while the interaction with the graphical element continues, and in response to detecting that the graphical element has been dragged into a portion of the graphical interface that is presenting a second application that differs from the first application:
 determining that the second application recognizes a subset of different data types from among the two or more different types of data linked to by the graphical element, wherein the subset excludes at least one data type from among the two or more data types linked to by the graphical element; and 
 changing a visual appearance of the graphical element based on the subset of different data types, wherein the visual appearance is changed to visually indicate at least one of the different data types in the subset of different data types; and 
   in response to detecting a drop of the graphical element into the second application, creating, in the second application, a new element that is linked to the at least one data type linked to by the graphical element and recognized by the second application.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the graphical interface presents the first application in a first portion of a display of the client device and the graphical interface presents the second application in a second portion of the display of the client device. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 in response to receiving, through the graphical interface, the user input indicating that a graphical element is being interacted with and dragged from a first application, accessing an object represented by the graphical item;   receiving, from the first application, first instructions for rendering the graphical element while receiving the selection input based on a first type of data, from among the two or more data types linked to by the graphical element; and   rendering the graphical element according to the first instructions while the graphical element is within the first portion of the display of the client device.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 in response to detecting that the graphical element has been dragged into the second portion of the graphical interface receiving, from the second application, second instructions for rendering the graphical element based on a second type of data, from among the two or more data types linked to by the graphical element; and   rendering the graphical element according to the second instructions while the graphical element is hovered in the second portion of the graphical interface and the selection input continues to be received.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein:
 determining that the second application recognizes a subset of different data types from among the two or more different types of data linked to by the graphical element comprises that the second application recognizes two or more different data types; and   changing a visual appearance of the graphical element based on the subset of different data types comprises segmenting the graphical element into different sections, with each section corresponding to a respective data type from among the two or more different data types.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein each respective segment has a different appearance based on the respective data type corresponding to the respective segment.