OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) is not a term that the user typically needs to be aware of. The user does, however, need to be aware of the benefits and features provided by OLE in your application. To this end, it is important to introduce the concept of OLE to the users, but in a fashion that appeals to their viewpoint.
The sample paragraphs in Figure 41 make up an introduction to an "Inserting Objects from Other Programs" chapter.
Chapter \i n\sgmli0 . Inserting Objects from Other Programs
As software and software users become more sophisticated, individual applications provide more powerful ways to manipulate specific kinds of information. Applications are now available that help you create graphs, drawings, worksheets, text documents, slides, electronic mail, and charts—to name only a few. With the linking and embedding features in <your_application_name>, you can now bring these separate kinds of information, referred to as objects, together into a single document. This document, referred to as a container document, allows you to make changes to the objects without leaving <your_application_name>.
Linking and embedding are based on exchanging information using the Clipboard where you select the object you want to insert into the container document and choose the Copy command to place it on the Clipboard. Then, in the container document, you position the insertion point where you want the object to appear and use the Paste Special command from the Edit menu to link or embed it.
<your_application_name> can automatically update the information with any changes that occur in the original. For instance, if you link sales data from a worksheet to a report written in <your_application_name>, the report can automatically reflect changes to the data in the worksheet. You can also link <your_application_name> documents to other applications or documents so that changes made in the <your_application_name> documents are reflected in the other applications or documents.
Alternatively, you can embed information from another application or document. This means the information contained in the object actually becomes part of your <your_application_name> document; there are no links to other files. For example, you can create a logo in a drawing application and embed it in a <your_application_name> document. If you decide to change the design of the logo, you can just double-click it, and <your_application_name> opens a window of the drawing application. When you’ve finished making changes, you save the logo, close the drawing window, and return to <your_application_name>; the changed logo is in your document.
The primary difference between linking and embedding is the location where the actual data for the object is stored. The data for a linked object is stored outside the container document in a source document. Embedded information, however, is stored right in the container document. Keep this difference in mind when deciding whether to link or embed information. If you want to use the information in one document only, it’s better to embed; in most other cases, it’s better to link.
Figure 41. Sample text explaining how to insert objects