The DataTransfer.types read-only property returns an array of the drag data formats (as strings) that were set in the dragstart event. The order of the formats is the same order as the data included in the drag operation.
The formats are Unicode strings giving the type or format of the data, generally given by a MIME type. Some values that are not MIME types are special-cased for legacy reasons (for example "text").
Syntax
dataTransfer.types;
Return value
An array of the data formats used in the drag operation. Each format is string. If the drag operation included no data, this list will be empty. If any files are included in the drag operation, then one of the types will be the string Files.
Example
This example shows the use of the types and items properties.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang=en>
<title>Examples of DataTransfer.{types,items} properties</title>
<meta content="width=device-width">
<style>
div {
margin: 0em;
padding: 2em;
}
#target {
border: 1px solid black;
}
</style>
<script>
function dragstart_handler(ev) {
console.log("dragStart: target.id = " + ev.target.id);
// Add this element's id to the drag payload so the drop handler will
// know which element to add to its tree
ev.dataTransfer.setData("text/plain", ev.target.id);
ev.dataTransfer.effectAllowed = "move";
}
function drop_handler(ev) {
console.log("drop: target.id = " + ev.target.id);
ev.preventDefault();
// Get the id of the target and add the moved element to the target's DOM
var data = ev.dataTransfer.getData("text");
ev.target.appendChild(document.getElementById(data));
// Print each format type
if (ev.dataTransfer.types != null) {
for (var i=0; i < ev.dataTransfer.types.length; i++) {
console.log("... types[" + i + "] = " + ev.dataTransfer.types[i]);
}
}
// Print each item's "kind" and "type"
if (ev.dataTransfer.items != null) {
for (var i=0; i < ev.dataTransfer.items.length; i++) {
console.log("... items[" + i + "].kind = " + ev.dataTransfer.items[i].kind + " ; type = " + ev.dataTransfer.items[i].type);
}
}
}
function dragover_handler(ev) {
console.log("dragOver");
ev.preventDefault();
// Set the dropEffect to move
ev.dataTransfer.dropEffect = "move"
}
</script>
<body>
<h1>Examples of <code>DataTransfer</code>.{<code>types</code>, <code>items</code>} properties</h1>
<ul>
<li id="i1" ondragstart="dragstart_handler(event);" draggable="true">Drag Item 1 to the Drop Zone</li>
<li id="i2" ondragstart="dragstart_handler(event);" draggable="true">Drag Item 2 to the Drop Zone</li>
</ul>
<div id="target" ondrop="drop_handler(event);" ondragover="dragover_handler(event);">Drop Zone</div>
</body>
</html>
Specifications
| Specification | Status | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| WHATWG HTML Living Standard The definition of 'types' in that specification. |
Living Standard | |
| HTML5.1 The definition of 'types' in that specification. |
Recommendation | Initial definition |
Browser compatibility
| Feature | Chrome | Edge | Firefox (Gecko) | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari (WebKit) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 4 | (Yes) | 3.5 52 (52)[1] |
10 | 12 | 3.1 |
| Feature | Android | Android Webview | Chrome for Android | Edge | Firefox Mobile (Gecko) | Firefox OS | IE Mobile | Opera Mobile | Safari Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | No support | No support | No support | (Yes) | (Yes) 52.0 (52)[1] |
No support | 10 | No support | No support |
[1] As of Firefox 52, the DataTransfer.types property returns a frozen array of DOMStrings as per spec, rather than a DOMStringList.