Dynamic Information Sharing

You can typically include small amounts of data by copying and pasting it into your application. However, under certain conditions, you might want to link to and or embed data from other applications instead. For example, you can link or embed a Microsoft Word document in a General field or a Microsoft Excel worksheet on a form.

When you link to data, it is stored in its source file, not in your Visual FoxPro table or form. The table or form stores only the location of the source and displays a representation of the linked data. Linked data is updated when the source file changes and retains a connection to its source file, unless you break the connection.

Note

Files with an .avi extension are always linked.

When you dynamically embed data, it is stored only in your table or form. This data does not retain a connection to its source file. If changes are made to the source file, they do not appear in your Visual FoxPro application.

In This Section

• Considerations for Linking or Embedding Data
  Describes considerations for choosing to link to or embed data.

• Embedding Hyperlinks
  Describes support for enabling and embedding hyperlinks.

• How to: Insert Data in Tables
  Describes how to insert data into a General field.

• How to: Change or Break Links to Data in Tables
  Describes how to modify the link to data in a General field.

• How to: Display Embedded or Linked Data from Tables
  Describes how to display data from a General field on a form or in a report.

• How to: Display Embedded or Linked Data on Forms
  Describes how to link or display data from a General field on a form.

• How to: Replace Linked or Embedded Data with Static Data
  Describes how to replace linked or embedded objects data with stand-alone bitmaps.

Related Sections

• Sharing Information and Adding OLE
  Explains how you can use Visual FoxPro to share information with other applications.

• How to: Add OLE Objects to Applications
  Describes how you can add OLE objects to tables and forms interactively or programmatically.

• OLE Drag-and-Drop
  Describes OLE drag-and-drop, a powerful and useful tool supported by Visual FoxPro, which makes it possible for you to move data between other applications that support OLE drag-and-drop.

• Importing and Exporting Data
  Explains how information is copied between Visual FoxPro and other applications by importing to and exporting from Visual FoxPro.