Design Specifications and Guidelines - Working with OLE Embedded and Linked Objects

Displaying Messages

This section includes recommendations for displaying message boxes and status line messages for OLE interaction. Use the following messages in addition to those described earlier in this chapter.

More Information

The system supplies most of the message boxes described in this chapter. For more information about how to support message boxes, see the OLE documentation included in the Microsoft Platform SDK on the MSDN Online Web site at https://msdn.microsoft.com/ui/guide/sdk.asp.

Object Application Messages

Display the following messages to notify the user about situations where an object's application is inaccessible.

Notifying Users About Inaccessible Applications
Message	When to use
ApplicationName can be run only from within an application.	When the user attempts to open an object that can be opened only within a container.
This action cannot be completed because ApplicationName is busy. Click SwitchTo to activate ApplicationName and correct the problem.	When the object's application is running but busy, such as printing, waiting for user input to a modal message box, or has stopped responding to the system.
The application necessary to activate this long type name is unavailable. You can activate it as, or convert it to, another type of object.	When the user attempts to activate an object and the container cannot locate the object's application. For example, this could happen because the object's type is not registered or because the network server where the application resides is unavailable.
Some links could not be updated because their sources are currently unavailable.	When the container requests an update for its linked objects and the link source files are unavailable to provide the update.
This action cannot be completed because the selected link's source is currently unavailable.	When the user chooses a command on a linked object and the source is unavailable.
The link is no longer an old object type and cannot respond to the verb command. You may choose a different command.	When the link's source type changed but it is not reflected for the linked object, and the user chooses a command that is not supported by the new type.
Updating links #% complete.	When links are being updated.

Status-Line Messages

The following table lists suggested status-line messages for commands on the primary container menu (commonly the File menu) of an opened object.

Container Menu Status-Line Messages
Command	Status line message
Update Container-Document	Updates the appearance of this Type Name in Container-Document.
Close and return to Container-Document	Closes Object Name and returns to Container-Document.
Save Copy As	Saves a copy of Type Name in a separate file.
Exit and return to Container-Document	Exits Object Application and returns to Container-Document.

Note

If the open object is within an MDI application with other open documents, the Exit and Return to command should simply be Exit. There is no guarantee of a successful Return to Container-Document after exiting, because the container might be one of the other documents in that MDI instance.

The following table lists the recommended status-line messages for the Edit menu of containers of embedded and linked objects.

Menu Status-Line Messages
Command	Status-line message
Paste Object Name*	Inserts the content of the Clipboard as Object Name.
Paste Special	Inserts the content of the Clipboard with format options.
Paste Link [to Object Name*]	Inserts a link to Object Name.
Paste Shortcut [to Object Name*]	Inserts a shortcut icon to Object Name.
Insert Object	Inserts a new object.
[Linked] Object Name* [Object]	Applies the following commands to Object Name.
[Linked] Object Name* [Object] Command	Varies based on command.
[Linked] Object Name* [Object] Properties	Allows properties of Object Name to be viewed or modified.
Links	Allows links to be viewed, updated, opened, or removed.

*Object Name can be either the object's short type name or its file name.

The following table lists other related status messages.

Other Status-Line Messages
Command	Status-line message
Show Objects	Displays the borders around objects (toggle).
Select Object (when the user selects an object)	Enables the user to double-click or press enter to Default Command Object Name.

Note

The default command stored in the registry contains an ampersand character (&) and the access key indicator; these must be stripped out before the verb is displayed on the status line.

Fundamentals of Designing User Interaction

Windows Interface Components

Design Specifications and Guidelines

Appendixes and References