The selectables component allows you to define a series of elements that can be 'chosen' by dragging a selection square around them or by clicking them, as if they were files on the desktop. In this way, elements on the page can be treated as file-like objects, allowing either single or groups of them to be selected.
A selection square has been a standard part of modern operating systems for a long time. For example, if you wanted to select some of the icons on your desktop, you could hold the mouse button down on a blank part of the desktop and drag a square around the icons you wanted to select.
The selectables interaction helper adds this same functionality to our web pages, which allows us to build more user-friendly interfaces without needing to use external environments like Flash or Silverlight. This is yet another example of how the Web is increasingly becoming less distinct from the desktop as an application platform.
Topics that will be covered in this section...