Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional in 10 Minutes

By Dorothy Burke and Jane Calabria

• Table of Contents
  • Copyright
  • Tell Us What You Think!
  • About the Authors
  • Introduction
  • Conventions Used in This Book
  • Lesson 1. Navigating Windows 2000 Professional
  • Lesson 2. Working with a Window
  • Lesson 3. Using Menus
  • Lesson 4. Using Windows 2000 Professional Help
  • Lesson 5. Using Dialog Boxes
  • Lesson 6. Working with Multiple Windows and Applications
  • Lesson 7. Copying, Moving, and Linking Between Windows and Applications
    • Using the Clipboard
    • Selecting Text for Copying or Moving
    • Selecting Graphics
    • Copying Information Between Windows
    • Moving Information Between Windows
    • Sharing Information Between Applications
    • Understanding Linking
    • Creating Links
    • Understanding Embedding
    • Embedding Objects
    • Using the ClipBook Viewer
  • Lesson 8. Using My Computer
  • Lesson 9. Managing Files with My Computer
  • Lesson 10. Using WordPad
  • Lesson 11. Understanding File Properties and the Recycle Bin
  • Lesson 12. Printing
  • Lesson 13. Using My Network Places
  • Lesson 14. Using the Control Panel
  • Lesson 15. Using Outlook Express Mail
  • Lesson 16. Sharing Workstations and Setting Passwords
  • Lesson 17. Using Internet Explorer 5
  • Lesson 18. Web Site and Document Searching
  • Lesson 19. Troubleshooting, Restarting, and Disaster Planning
  • Lesson 20. Customizing the Windows 2000 Environment

Sharing Information Between Applications

You can incorporate data into an application that was created in another application, such as a spreadsheet, word processing document, graph, drawing, or scanned image. Rather than keying in the information from the other application, you can "capture" it from its original application and place it in the document you're creating at the moment.

For example, you're writing a report. Data you need to incorporate in that report is contained in a spreadsheet. You want to capture that spreadsheet data and put it into your report document.

You can share information between applications using several methods:

• Importing converts data from its "native" program, so you can include it in your current document. Generally, users import data when they can't open the source document. For instance, if you need a picture in your document, you import the picture from a clip art library into your document. Once you place the picture, you can't open the clip art file and change that picture; and if someone updates the original picture file, those updates do not automatically appear in your document. Your picture remains the same as it was when you imported it.
• Edit , Cut and Edit, Copy commands allow you to store data temporarily in the Clipboard (a memory holding area created by Windows) and then place it into your document with the Edit , Paste command.
• Linking utilizes the Clipboard (via the Cut and Copy commands) to bring data from a source document and place it into your document. Any updates to the source information will also appear in your document. All users of the document must have access to the source file, and the location of that source file cannot change or the link will fail.
• Embedding places an "object" created by another program directly into your document. You can edit the object contents by activating the source application directly from your document (all you have to do is double-click on the object). Changing an embedded object does not change the source document.

Programs that let you share data use one of two methods to share that information:

• Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) is a communications protocol that lets you share data between two open applications. DDE is an older technology, so most programs in Windows support it.
• Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) extends your ability to dynamically share information between programs and program files. Because of OLE, you can embed or link files from another application into a document; or you can embed a new object and use the object's application to enter data into your document. Not all applications support OLE (especially older ones), so you may not be able to embed files from all your applications.

In the everyday use of linking and embedding, you don't really have to know if an application supports DDE or OLE. Your application will automatically employ OLE if the originating application supports it and DDE if it doesn't. If a program supports neither DDE nor OLE, its menu simply won't offer you the option of linking or embedding pasted data.

Share This