The dynamic OLE menu commands

The OBJECT command on the Insert menu is dynamic. It changes to reflect the properties of the selected object and your options with that object.

The object may be described as a Document object, a Bitmap Image object, a Picture object, a Worksheet object, or something similarly descriptive.

●If the object is embedded, the Insert menu displays those commands that are available to that type of embedded object.

●If the object is linked, the Insert menu displays commands for that type of linked object.

Commands on the shortcut menus change in a similar fashion.

These dynamic commands are provided to give you more control when working with OLE objects.

OLE and the Picture command

If you place pictures in your report using the OBJECT command on the Insert menu, the picture can be treated as either an embedded or linked object.

If you place pictures in your report using the PICTURE command on the Insert menu, however, Seagate Crystal Reports converts them into static OLE objects to enhance online and printing performance.

Static objects do not support in-place editing. If you want to edit the object in place, you will have to convert it to an editable type of object using the CONVERT command on the Edit menu.

While Seagate Crystal Reports automatically converts bitmaps to static OLE objects if you insert them using the OBJECT or PASTE SPECIAL commands on the Insert menu, it does not convert bitmaps that are stored as BLOB field values in databases. If you place database bitmap fields into your report, the program displays them as normal bitmaps with no OLE characteristics.

General OLE considerations

There are several points to keep in mind when utilizing OLE functionality.

●When you double-click an embedded OLE object, Seagate Crystal Reports changes its menus and toolbars to those of the object’s server application. When you are finished editing, click outside the object and the Seagate Crystal Reports toolbars reappear.

●When you double-click a linked OLE object, the program opens the object’s server application with the object displayed, ready for editing. You can not edit a linked object in place in Seagate Crystal Reports because you are working on the original object. Since the object could be linked to multiple documents, and since, conceivably more than one person could want to edit it at a given time, displaying the original in the server application limits access to one editor at a time.