How can I drag something?

Question

Level 1

8 points

How can I drag something?

I know there are many who believe a mouse does not belong with an iPad, however I've realized an issue with the iPad. I'm trying to use a website that allows me to drag an image from one spot to another. But, because of how the iPad works I'm unable to do this- the screen wants to scroll, even when I attempt to place one finger in a corner thinking that may keep the page stationary.

IMO this should be a capable function on this device considering it's not a flash feature or another non-apple abiding application. It all has to do with the ipad not keeping the screen in place so i can drag an item across it.

iPad 16gb, iOS 4

Posted on Feb 2, 2011 7:38 PM

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Answer 1

Feb 4, 2011 4:27 PM in response to Michael Morgan1

Dave's example uses the Javascript onmousedown, onmouseup and onmousemove events.

To work on a touchscreen device, you need to use touchstart, touchend and touchmove events.

http://developer.apple.com/library/safari/#documentation/UserExperience/Referenc e/TouchEventClassReference/TouchEvent/TouchEvent.html

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Answer 2

Feb 2, 2011 8:17 PM in response to djc311

That claim is rather devalued by other apps (pages, etc.) which in fact do allow that very thing. I suspect that it's more a matter either of the app itself not allowing or, more accurately, not featuring that capability, or perhaps that capability on that site is actually enabled by some underlying technology, like Flash, which isn't available in iOS or the iPad.

You can try it either with different apps, in this case browsers, or on a different platform.

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Answer 3

Feb 3, 2011 12:33 AM in response to djc311

You can drag things on an iPad - the functionality is there - but the webpage you are using needs to be programmed to understand touch input rather than mouse input.

Contact the sites owners and ask them to cater for the increasing number of touch screen devices accessing there site.

Here's an example of a correctly written web page that allows dragging and two finger rotating in Safari on iPad:

http://tlrobinson.net/projects/iphone-light-table/

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Answer 4

Feb 3, 2011 5:46 AM in response to Chris CA

Unless you're playing in the linked example, which doesn't require it. As a rough guide, 2-finger scrolling has to be used when scrolling inside of a frame, or box, and/or in cases where the background itself is also able to be scrolled.

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Answer 5

djc311 Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 3, 2011 9:40 PM in response to djc311

I failed to mention the site is Go Daddy & I'm trying to use their store manager system. All my images are on there, but I can't drag a pic over to the box to select the ones I'd like to associate with a particular description. I'm thinking they won't put a rush on a request to cater to iPad users, so I guess I have to resort to using my desktop pc to work on their site. For rerecord, I've tried a two finger drag which also did not work.

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Answer 6

Feb 4, 2011 10:15 AM in response to David M Brewer

I made a test HTML where you can drag and drop an image onto a box. It works in Safari on a desktop computer but does not work on the iPad. I tried it with a few browsers on the iPad besides Safari, still didn't work.

http://db.tt/UuQRCzE

The dragging javascript function must not work on the iPad. Someone needs to write a new JavaScript for touch devices.

Message was edited by: David M Brewer

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Answer 7

Feb 4, 2011 11:06 AM in response to David M Brewer

David M Brewer wrote:
......
The dragging javascript function must not work on the iPad. Someone needs to write a new JavaScript ....

Okay, then, I'll write a feedback to Apple if you will!

Also, how did your coding differ from the Safari example above, which did allow --scrolling-- dragging?

Message was edited by: Michael Morgan1

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Answer 8

Feb 5, 2011 12:38 PM in response to Michael Morgan1

All the Javascript events are available to use by web developers in mobile Webkit based browsers - and have been for a couple of years now.

There's plenty of example code available on the net - it just needs developers to implement it in their websites.

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Answer 9

Jan 10, 2013 4:51 AM in response to djc311

Try this:

1. Tap the element to be moved. After a fraction of a second it should flash briefly. This means the element is going to be moved. An example of an element is the block in a vertical slider.

2. Tap again in the place where you want the element to go to. It should move to the tapped place.

This worked for me on British Gas My Home website, where we were trying to adjust the temperature set by a home heating control. The website worked fine on a laptop, but with iPad, the whole page kept moving instead of the temperature control we were trying to change. The two-tap method did the job.

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Answer 10

Jan 10, 2013 6:22 AM in response to Phil Jones Computers

Since the thread is almost two years old, I doubt the OP will return at this point. And in all likelihood the site he had an issue has updated the javascript to a more current jsquery version to handle the function (or changed the approach altogether). I'm glad you found a method of working with your site, but its a total crapshoot as to whether it would work on others. Depends entirely on what script is being used used to accomplish the objective.

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Answer 11

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

Feb 3, 2011 1:00 AM in response to djc311

If you did not dig it out of Julian's post, try dragging with two fingers, not one.

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Answer 12

Feb 4, 2011 3:24 AM in response to djc311

I'm not at my Mac at the moment... O have a few drag and drop script on my Mac. I'll see tomorrow if the iPad/Safari supports these scripts and report back.

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Answer 13

Feb 5, 2011 12:25 PM in response to Julian Wright

Thanks. Can I take that to mean that someone already has written the new required JavaScript?

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