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Using OLE in SAS/AF Software under Windows

Using Linked OLE Objects

A linked OLE object contains information about the object's server application and points to the data file that resides on disk, but does not contain data for the object itself. The object contains a static picture that represents the contents of the linked source.

Using the Links dialog box, you can specify to update a linked object:

Linked OLE objects that you include in a FRAME entry:

If you create a linked object using OLE - Paste Special, the data source that you paste from must be permanent (you must have saved it to disk). If you create a linked object from a temporary data source, SAS will be unable to locate the data to update the object when the data source no longer exists.

Updating a Linked Object with the Links Dialog Box

To update the links information with the Links dialog box (shown in Links Dialog Box):

  1. Click on the object with the right mouse button. A pop-up menu appears, with the object type listed as the bottom menu item.

  2. Click on the bottom menu item. A cascading menu containing valid OLE verbs for the object appears.

  3. Click Links. The Links dialog box appears, containing link information for all of the linked objects in the FRAME entry. (If there are no linked objects in the FRAME, then the Links item is disabled.)

  4. Use the Links dialog box to change information about the object as necessary. For example, if the data file resides in a different location, you can change the source for the object link.

An alternate way to open the Links dialog box for a linked OLE object is to use the DLGLINKS command from the command line. You can also use the _EXECUTE_ method in SCL to invoke the DLGLINKS command. For example:

call notify('linkobj','_execute_','dlglinks');

Links Dialog Box

[The Links dialog box]


Updating a Linked Object Programmatically

To change the source of a linked object programmatically with SCL, use the _UPDATE_ method to specify a new HSERVICE entry to associate with the object. The _UPDATE_ method for OLE objects accepts the name of an HSERVICE entry as a third argument. (This method overrides the Widget class _UPDATE_ method.) For the syntax of the OLE _UPDATE_ method, see _UPDATE_.

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