SHARING INFORMATION WITH OTHER APPLICATIONS


Creating links to other applications or data
You can create links to data in other applications, to other Notes documents, views and databases, or to embedded objects, by creating an linked OLE object in a rich-text field. A linked object is a direct "gateway" to the data in the source application, so you can see any changes made in the source application when you open the link in Notes. To create a linked OLE object, both the original application and your operating system must support OLE technology.

When you click a link, a new menu appears in Notes. The name of the menu reflects the type of application you are linking to. For example, if you link to a Lotus 1-2-3 Workbook, the menu is "Workbook."

Object menu

Once you've created a link, you can update it, edit it, or break it.

Click any of these topics:


To create a link to another application

1. Open the application you want to link to. If it's open, make sure the data you want to link to is saved.

2. Select the data you want to link to, and copy it to the Clipboard.

3. In Notes, open the target document in Edit mode.

4. Click in a rich-text field where you want the object to appear.

5. Choose Edit - Paste Special.

6. Select "Paste link to source."

7. In the "As" box, select a display format for the object.

8. (Optional) Select "Display as icon" to display an icon instead of the linked data.

9. Click OK.

Note Notes lets you display a link as four types of files: Rich Text Format, Bitmap, Picture, Text or icon. However, the application you are linking to determines which display types are available.

Go to top

To create a link to another application by dragging and dropping

You can drag and drop data from many applications into Notes to create a link, if the source application supports OLE2.

Note Not all applications implement this feature the same way; for example, some applications may not use the combination CTRL+SHIFT. If the procedure below does not work, refer to the documentation for the application you are using.

1. In Notes, open in Edit mode the document you want to link from.

2. In the application, select the data you want to link to.

3. Press and hold the CTRL key and SHIFT key, then click the outline of the selected data.

4. Holding CTRL+SHIFT, drag the data to the Notes document and drop it in the rich-text field where you want the link to appear.

Go to top

To create a link to a Notes document, view, or database

You can create a link to a Notes document, view, or database in another Notes document or in another OLE2 application.

1. In Notes, open the document, view, or database you want to link to.

2. Choose Edit - Copy as Link, then select Document Link, View Link, or Database Link.

3. Open the Notes document or the external application you want to link from.

4. Click where you want the link to appear.

5. Choose Edit - Paste Special.

6. Select "Paste Link to source," and if the option is available, select Notes Link. If not, you can select Picture, which will create a picture of a Notes database icon, or Text.

7. Click OK.

Notes


Go to top

To create a link to an embedded object

If you're using Windows, you can create a link from a Notes document, or another OLE application, to an embedded object in Notes.

1. In Notes, open the document in Edit mode and click the embedded object.

2. Choose Object Menu - Copy External.


3. In the application or the Notes document, click where you want the link to appear.

4. Choose Edit - Paste Special.

5. Click Paste Link (or the application's equivalent).

6. Select the object.

Note To create a link to only part of an embedded object, open in Edit mode the document containing the embedded object. Then double-click the object, select the data you want to link, and follow the above steps.

Go to top

To update a link manually

1. Open in Edit mode the document that contains the linked object.

2. Choose Edit - External Links.

3. Select the link in the External links dialog box.

4. Click Update Now. To update all linked objects in the document, choose View - Refresh.

Note It's useful to select Manual as the update type for objects that take a lot of time to update, like large bitmaps. This way, you choose when you want to take the time to update a link. Also, be aware that upon first opening a document with an OLE link, you will be asked if you want to update the link (yes/no).

Go to top

To update a link automatically

1. Open in Edit mode the document that contains the linked object.

2. Choose Edit - External Links.

3. Select the link.

4. Select Automatic to update continuously as the object's data is edited.

5. Click Close.

Go to top

To break a link

When you break a link, the data remains in the Notes document as "static" text, meaning you can no longer access it.

1. Open in Edit mode the document that contains the linked object.

2. Choose Edit - External Links.

3. Select the link.

4. Click "Break Link."

5. Click OK.

6. Click Close.

Note If you break a link unintentionally, you can restore it by exiting the document without saving your changes.

Go to top

To edit a link

You can edit a link's data by launching the source OLE application from Notes.

1. Open in Edit mode the document that contains the linked object.

2. Double-click the link.

3. Edit the data in the source application.

4. Return to Notes.

5. (Optional) If the link is set to be updated manually, choose View - Refresh to update the data. Otherwise, by default the data is updated automatically.

6. Choose File - Save to save your changes.

Go to top

To copy a link or picture of a link

You can make an editable copy of a link, or just a picture, in which the data can only be read.

1. With the document in Edit mode, click the link.

2. Choose Edit - Copy to create an editable copy of the link.


3. Click outside the link.

4. In a Notes document, choose Edit - Paste.

Go to top

To change the display of a link

1. With the document in Edit mode, click the link.

2. Choose Link - Object Properties, Display As. Link is the link type (for example, 1-2-3 Worksheet). Or you can select Link, Edit Properties and then change the Display As property value.

3. Select a display format.

4. Click OK.

Go to top

See Also