OLE Objects

An object is all or part of a file created with an OLE-aware application. OLE, or Object Linking and Embedding, is a Microsoft technology that enables you to insert a file as an object within a document (Figure 1)even if the file was created with a different application. Double-clicking the inserted object launches the application that created it so you can modify its contents.

Figure 1. A Microsoft Organization Chart object inserted in a Microsoft Word document.

Word's Object command enables you to insert OLE objects in two different ways:

• Create and insert a new OLE object. This method launches a specific OLE-aware application so you can create an object. When you are finished, you quit the application to insert the new object in your document.

• Insert an existing OLE object. This method displays the Insert as Object dialog (Figure 6) which you can use to locate, select, and insert an existing file as an object.

Tips

• All Microsoft applications are OLE-aware. Many software applications created by other developers are also OLE-aware; check the documentation that came with a specific software package for details.

• Microsoft Word comes with a number of OLE-aware applications that can be used to insert objects. The full Microsoft Office package includes even more of these applications.

• Chapter 10 offered a glimpse of OLE objects in its discussion of Microsoft Graph, one of the OLE-aware applications that comes with Word.

• Double-clicking an inserted object opens the application with which the object was created so you can modify it.

To insert a new object

1.	Position the insertion point where you want the object to appear.
2.	Choose Insert > Object (Figure 2) to display the Object dialog (Figure 3). Figure 2. Choose Object from the Insert menu. Figure 3. The Object dialog. The options shown here are those that are part of a Microsoft Office X installation.
3.	Click to select the type of object that you want to insert.
4.	Click OK. Word launches the application that you selected. It may take a moment for it to appear. Figure 4 shows the default Microsoft Organization Chart window and toolbar. Figure 4. The default Microsoft Organization Chart window.
5.	Use the application to create the object that you want.
6.	When you are finished creating the object, choose the Quit command from the Application Name menu (Figure 5). Figure 5. The Quit command on the Organization Chart menu.
7.	If a dialog appears, asking whether you want to update the object in the document, click Update. The application closes and the object is inserted in the document (Figure 1).

Tips

• The exact wording of the Quit command in step 6 varies depending on the application and the name of the document with which you are working.

• For more information about using one of the OLE-aware applications that comes with Word or Office, use the application's Help menu or Office Assistant.

To insert an existing object

1.	Position the insertion point where you want the object to appear.
2.	Choose Insert > Object (Figure 2) to display the Object dialog (Figure 3).
3.	Click the From File button to display the Insert as Object dialog (Figure 6). Figure 6. Use this dialog to insert an existing file as an object.
4.	Locate and select the file that you want to insert.
5.	Click Insert. The file is inserted as an object in the document (Figure 7). Figure 7. An Excel 2004 worksheet inserted into a Word document.

Tip

• To insert a file as an object, the application that created the file must be properly installed on your computer or accessible through a network connection. Word displays a dialog if the application is missing.

To customize an inserted object

Follow the instructions in the previous two sections to create and insert a new object or insert an existing object. In the Object (Figure 3) or Insert as Object (Figure 6) dialog, turn on check boxes as desired:

• Link to File creates a link to the object's file so that when it changes, the object inserted within the Word document can change. This is similar to inserting a link, which I tell you about in Chapter 10. This option is only available when inserting an existing file as an object.

• Display as icon (Figure 8) displays an icon that represents the object rather than the object itself.

  Figure 8. An Excel 2004 worksheet displayed as an icon.