Direct manipulation is a protocol that enables the user to drag a container item within its current window or from one window to another. The user can drop the container item either on white space in a window or on another item.

Direct manipulation can be performed with all views of the container control. A function is provided so that the application is notified if an item is dropped on another item in the container and if an item is dragged from the container.

The user can drag any container item, whether or not it is selected. If the user presses the drag button when the pointer is over a selected container item, the application drags all selected items.

If the user presses the drag button when the pointer is over a container item that is not selected, the application drags only the item that the pointer is over.

The container control fully supports direct manipulation.