Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for selecting data using a graphic object such as a slider that incorporates a display area for displaying information about the data that is selected. In an embodiment of the invention, an arbitrarily sized and shaped slider for selecting data from an arbitrarily sized and shaped graphical representation related to an underlying set of data are displayed on a display screen. Each position in the display screen occupied by the graphical representation correlates to particular data from the set of data represented the graphical representation. As the slider is moved relative to the display screen, information identifying the data corresponding to the current position of a reference datum of the slider is displayed in an information display area of the slider.