SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A DRAG-AND-DROP OBJECT FROM A POPUP MENU ITEM

A method and apparatus are provided in conjunction with a graphical user interface (GUI) for producing drag-and-drop objects (317b) from one or more choice-items (317a) presented in a choice-listing menu of a source application program (314). The so-produced drag-and-drop object is dropped onto a receiving area (312c) and acquires new functionality based on the source of the choice-item and on the nature of the receiving area. A filename presented as a choice-item in a history portion of a FILE menu for example may be converted into a drag-and-drop object and dropped on an open desktop area. The dropped object (319) may be then activated to automatically launch the source application program and to automatically open the file identified by the original choice-item.