CODEWITHSUNDEEP
asp.netbrowser
jqwha
jqwha

Reputation: 1679

Drag and drop files FROM a browser TO desktop/app

I've seen many articles about dragging files INTO a browser, but none about dragging files FROM the browser to a windows application or the desktop/windows-explorer.

I'm looking for a cross-browser solution but IE8 is our main browser.

If I create a link in a web page and then drag that link from the page into Microsoft Word, it inserts a link. However, if that link is pointing at a PDF document, I would like it to embed the PDF doc inside the Word doc, as if I'd dragged it from Windows Explorer, into MS Word.

Is that possible?

I've even tried pointing the link at an ASP page which returns "application/pdf" data but I still just get a link in my word doc so I suspect that links are the wrong way to go.

Thanks for any help!

Upvotes: 5

Views: 3201

Answers (2)

Sergey
Sergey

Reputation: 835

I noticed that you can actually drag a HYPERLINK from a browser and drop in into a folder. After that a file there is created with .URL extension that contains the actual link. So it is possible develop a program that will be able to accept that hyperlinks (as the usual windows folder does) and after it accepts the hyperlink file, it will automatically download the actual file from internet (by the hyperlink from the hyperlink file). So the process will be:

  1. drag-n-drop a hyperlink to the app
  2. app recognizes the link
  3. app automatically downloads the appropriate file and stores it somewhere.

Upvotes: 0

Mark
Mark

Reputation: 11750

I suspect you'll find that it is indeed not possible. The behavior upon drop is determined by the "receiving" application, not the "sending" application. As you point out, Word creates links to things that are dropped on it. The browser doesn't have any control over that.

Upvotes: 1

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