---
title: "Interactive Manipulation"
language: "en"
type: "Guide"
summary: "The single function Manipulate gives immediate access to a huge range of powerful interactive capabilities. For any expression with symbolic parameters, Manipulate automatically creates an interface for manipulating the parameters. Manipulate supports not only mouse and keyboard manipulation, but also gamepads and other devices."
sections: 
  - 
    title: "Options & Styling"
    link: "paclet:guide/OptionsAndStylingForInteractiveManipulation"
  - 
    title: "Control Objects"
    link: "paclet:guide/ControlObjects"
keywords: 
- animate sequence of expressions
- applets
- click-interactive panels
- control active
- controller manipulate
- control placement
- controls
- control type
- direct manipulation
- graphical user interface
- grip
- handle
- input bar
- input box
- input field
- interactive panels
- interface builder
- joystick
- knob
- list animate
- list of frames
- make movie
- mouse interactive
- movable thumb
- popup menu
- scrollbar
- setter bar
- setter control
- single selection control
- slider
- thumb
- user interfaces
- zoom in plot
- direct manipulation
- gamepads
- GUI
- interface
- sliders
canonical_url: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/InteractiveManipulation.html"
source: "Wolfram Language Documentation"
related_guides: 
  - 
    title: "Viewers & Annotation"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ViewersAndAnnotation.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Dynamic Interactivity Language"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/DynamicInteractivityLanguage.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Custom Interface Construction"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/CustomInterfaceConstruction.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Gamepad & Device Interface"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/GamepadAndDeviceInterface.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Graphics Interactivity & Drawing"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/GraphicsInteractivityAndDrawing.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Setting Up User Interactions"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/SettingUpUserInteractions.en.md"
related_workflow_guides: 
  - 
    title: "Creating and Organizing Interfaces"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/workflowguide/CreatingAndOrganizingInterfaces.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Active Elements and Controls"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/workflowguide/ActiveElementsAndControls.en.md"
related_functions: 
  - 
    title: "Animate"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Animate.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Animator"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Animator.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Bookmarks"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Bookmarks.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Control"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Control.en.md"
  - 
    title: "ControlActive"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControlActive.en.md"
  - 
    title: "ControllerManipulate"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControllerManipulate.en.md"
  - 
    title: "ControlPlacement"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControlPlacement.en.md"
  - 
    title: "ControlType"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControlType.en.md"
  - 
    title: "ImageSize"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ImageSize.en.md"
  - 
    title: "InputField"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InputField.en.md"
  - 
    title: "ListAnimate"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ListAnimate.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Locator"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Locator.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Manipulate"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Manipulate.en.md"
  - 
    title: "PlotRange"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PlotRange.en.md"
  - 
    title: "PopupMenu"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PopupMenu.en.md"
  - 
    title: "SaveDefinitions"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SaveDefinitions.en.md"
  - 
    title: "SetterBar"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetterBar.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Slider"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Slider.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Style"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Style.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Text"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Text.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Trigger"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Trigger.en.md"
related_tutorials: 
  - 
    title: "Introduction to Dynamic"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/IntroductionToDynamic.en.md"
  - 
    title: "Advanced Dynamic Functionality"
    link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/AdvancedDynamicFunctionality.en.md"
---
# Interactive Manipulation

The single function [`Manipulate`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Manipulate.en.md) gives immediate access to a huge range of powerful interactive capabilities. For any expression with symbolic parameters, [`Manipulate`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Manipulate.en.md) automatically creates an interface for manipulating the parameters. [`Manipulate`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Manipulate.en.md) supports not only mouse and keyboard manipulation, but also gamepads and other devices.

---

[`Manipulate`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Manipulate.en.md) — interactively manipulate any expression, graphic, or other object

---

[`Animate`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Animate.en.md) — animate any graphic or expression

[`ListAnimate`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ListAnimate.en.md) — animate a list of graphics or expressions

---

### [Options & Styling](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/OptionsAndStylingForInteractiveManipulation.en.md)

* [`ControlPlacement`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControlPlacement.en.md)
* [`ControlType`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControlType.en.md)
* [`SaveDefinitions`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SaveDefinitions.en.md)
* [`Bookmarks`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Bookmarks.en.md)
* [`...`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/OptionsAndStylingForInteractiveManipulation.en.md)

* [`ImageSize`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ImageSize.en.md)
* [`PlotRange`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PlotRange.en.md)
* [`Text`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Text.en.md)
* [`Style`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Style.en.md)
* [`ControlActive`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControlActive.en.md)
* [`...`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/OptionsAndStylingForInteractiveManipulation.en.md)

### [Control Objects](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ControlObjects.en.md)

[`Control`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Control.en.md) — an interactive control with type automatically chosen

[`Locator`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Locator.en.md) — make one or more 2D variables be controlled by locators inside a graphic

[`Trigger`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Trigger.en.md) — set up a "trigger" that starts a variable changing with time

* [`Slider`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Slider.en.md)
* [`PopupMenu`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/PopupMenu.en.md)
* [`SetterBar`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetterBar.en.md)
* [`Animator`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Animator.en.md)
* [`InputField`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InputField.en.md)
* [`...`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ControlObjects.en.md)

---

altdrag, ctrl+altdrag — move a slider progressively slower

---

[`ControllerManipulate`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControllerManipulate.en.md) — manipulate only with an external controller (e.g. gamepad)

## Tech Notes

* [Introduction to Dynamic](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/IntroductionToDynamic.en.md)
* [Advanced Dynamic Functionality](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/AdvancedDynamicFunctionality.en.md)

## Related Workflow Guides

* [Creating and Organizing Interfaces](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/workflowguide/CreatingAndOrganizingInterfaces.en.md)
* [Active Elements and Controls](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/workflowguide/ActiveElementsAndControls.en.md)

## Related Guides

* [Viewers & Annotation](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ViewersAndAnnotation.en.md)
* [Dynamic Interactivity Language](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/DynamicInteractivityLanguage.en.md)
* [Custom Interface Construction](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/CustomInterfaceConstruction.en.md)
* [Gamepad & Device Interface](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/GamepadAndDeviceInterface.en.md)
* [Graphics Interactivity & Drawing](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/GraphicsInteractivityAndDrawing.en.md)
* [Setting Up User Interactions](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/SettingUpUserInteractions.en.md)

## Related Links

* [Wolfram U — An Elementary Introduction to the Wolfram Language](https://www.wolfram.com/wolfram-u/an-elementary-introduction-to-the-wolfram-language/)
* [[image]  Wolfram Core Areas: User Interfaces](https://www.wolfram.com/language/core-areas/user-interfaces/)