Drag-and-Drop Data File Support for Workbooks

Origin supports drag-and-drop import of ASCII, binary, user-defined and select third-party file types, into workbook windows. To make drag-and-drop import work, you need to provide file-handling instructions in one of two forms:

• You have to have added a custom section to your DOFILE.OGS file. This is an editable LabTalk script file which is installed to the Origin program folder. This is an older method and while it is still supported, we do not recommend it as a first choice for data import.

• You have to have created an import filter with the Import Wizard. This is the preferred method for saving data import handling instructions as it is more easily implemented and more flexible than the older DOFILE method. Note that this is the method used to support drag-and-drop import of select third-party file types.

Basic drag-and-drop procedure

To drag-and-drop files into Origin:

1. With Origin running, select your file(s) in Windows Explorer.
2. Drag the file(s) to the Origin taskbar button and hold them there until the Origin workspace is restored.
3. Drop the files onto the active window or into an empty portion of the Origin workspace (the two may produce different results -- see next).

Importing using an Origin Import Filter

When you drop one or more files onto an Origin worksheet and Origin finds that there is an appropriate filter for handling the dropped file(s), it will import the file(s) automatically without opening the Import Wizard.

• If files are dropped onto a window that is of the Target Window type -- in this case a workbook window -- data are imported into Target Window unless the Import Mode is set to Start New Book.

• If files are dropped onto an empty portion of the workspace or onto a window type that is not the Target Window type, data are imported into one or more new windows created from the Target Window Template (which is the default Origin workbook template unless otherwise specified).

Any time a new window needs to be created, Origin does so using the Target Window Template.