ARCHIVED: What is OLE?

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OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) is a component document technology from Microsoft that allows you to dynamically link files and applications together. An object is a combination of data and the application needed to modify that data. You can thus embed objects in or link them to documents created with a different application.

For instance, an Excel spreadsheet can be embedded within a Microsoft Word document using OLE. Double-clicking the embedded spreadsheet will launch Excel and allow the user to modify the sheet. Some applications also include small applets that are used to create objects. For instance, Microsoft Word includes a drawing tool (MS Draw) and a tool for manipulating characters as art (Text Art), which can be launched only via OLE.

For more on OLE, a good resource is the OLE Wikipedia page. You can also visit the Microsoft Developer Network site.