drag and drop file attachment to browser, how do they do it?

Question

drag and drop file attachment to browser, how do they do it?

It seems gmail just starting this feature, and it doesn't require you to install any plugin etc.

it works in both firefox and chrome but not IE.

Answer 1

It's using the HTML5 drag and drop API.

http://html5doctor.com/native-drag-and-drop/

Answer 2

They are using one of HTML5's features. IE doesn't support HTML 5 or standards or...

Here is a blog that explains the drag and drop reasonably well.

Answer 3

HTML5 drag and drop API is available in the bleeding-edge browsers like the others said.

Google Gears (a "plugin") can add the drag'n'drop functionality (I know Google Wave used gears at least in the Google Wave dev preview) for older browsers (FF and IE). Note that gears will not be supported forever