Enabling drag and drop operations between disparate file formats is provided. An indication that a user dragged and dropped a source information item having a particular file format into a local application of a data processing system is received by an operating system of the data processing system. The local application utilizes a different file format from the particular file format of the source information item. Relevant content that corresponds to the local application is identified by the operating system in the source information item. The relevant content corresponding to the local application is extracted by the operating system from the source information item. The relevant content extracted from the source information item having the particular file format is incorporated by the operating system into the local application that utilizes the different file format from the particular file format of the source information item for use by the local application.