Picknplace.js rethinks drag-and-drop with a discrete pick-and-place model

Show HN: Picknplace.js positions itself as an alternative to traditional drag-and-drop - a space long hampered by browser inconsistencies, mobile quirks, and a11y hurdles. What’s notable here is the explicit shift from continuous dragging to a discrete “select, then place” flow. That pattern tends to simplify input handling (mouse, touch, pen), reduce pointer-capture edge cases, and make state updates more deterministic - useful for virtualized UIs, complex grids, or collaborative apps where streaming per-move events is costly and brittle.

Under the hood, sidestepping the native HTML5 DnD APIs typically buys developers full control over hit-testing, constraints, and feedback without relying on dragover/dragenter semantics. The bigger picture: front-end teams are converging on input-agnostic, state-first interaction models that play well with React/Vue/Svelte mental models and design systems. A library that treats “picking” and “placing” as explicit, composable events fits that trajectory and can make keyboard support and announcements more straightforward than retrofitting a drag path after the fact. Worth noting, adoption will hinge on the practicals: clear APIs for activation, constraints, and drop targets; robust touch/mouse parity; and built-in a11y primitives. If Picknplace.js delivers on those, it could be a cleaner default for many UI patterns that never needed full-on drag in the first place.