Abstract: User interface changes related to moving items in a user interface are disclosed. An operation (e.g., a drag operation) can be initiated on selected items by moving a cursor or pointing device in the user interface, and an animation can be presented illustrating representations of the selected items moving from their respective original locations toward a current location of the cursor or pointing device and forming a cluster in proximity to the current location of the cursor or pointing device. As the cluster of items is moved over a container object in the user interface, the representations of the items can adopt the appearance style defined by that container object. The representations of the items can also be shown to depart from the cluster and move toward anticipated locations of the items in the container object as a preview of a drop operation into the container object.

Abstract: A background thread can be used to process events, e.g., a touch, gesture, pinch, or swipe, that are received on a touch sensitive device, or events, e.g., mouse scroll wheel events that are received on a input device, e.g., a mouse. The background thread can be used to process events when a main thread assigned to the Graphical User Interface (GUI) is interrupted. In such situations, the background thread can continue processing events. In cases where the main thread is interrupted and the event is scroll input, the background thread can draw content on the GUI in response to the scroll, so that the response to the scroll input observed by the user is unaffected by the interrupted main thread. By processing events and drawing content using the background thread while the main thread is blocked, the GUI can be navigated without having the user experience a stall or stutter.

Abstract: A background thread can be used to process events, e.g., a touch, gesture, pinch, or swipe, that are received on a touch sensitive device, or events, e.g., mouse scroll wheel events that are received on a input device, e.g., a mouse. The background thread can be used to process events when a main thread assigned to the Graphical User Interface (GUI) is interrupted. In such situations, the background thread can continue processing events. In cases where the main thread is interrupted and the event is scroll input, the background thread can draw content on the GUI in response to the scroll, so that the response to the scroll input observed by the user is unaffected by the interrupted main thread. By processing events and drawing content using the background thread while the main thread is blocked, the GUI can be navigated without having the user experience a stall or stutter.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a first window is generated based on window metadata obtained from a snapshot of a second window while an application is starting, where the second window was presented by the application and the snapshot was captured during a previous execution of the application. The ownership of the first window is transferred to the application after the application has finished starting, such that the application can interact with the first window without having to creating a new window.

Abstract: User interface changes related to moving items in a user interface are disclosed. An operation (e.g., a drag operation) can be initiated on selected items by moving a cursor or pointing device in the user interface, and an animation can be presented illustrating representations of the selected items moving from their respective original locations toward a current location of the cursor or pointing device and forming a cluster in proximity to the current location of the cursor or pointing device. As the cluster of items is moved over a container object in the user interface, the representations of the items can adopt the appearance style defined by that container object. The representations of the items can also be shown to depart from the cluster and move toward anticipated locations of the items in the container object as a preview of a drop operation into the container object.