What Is Object Linking and Embedding (OLE)?

The technology of the future is here, and it's called Object Linking and Embedding (OLE). OLE, like all great things, was born in Redmond, Washington. A group of Microsoft engineers tired of dealing with the hassle of sharing objects written in different formats from multiple sources decided they'd had enough. They wanted to share their application data and objects without dealing with all the headaches. They devised something which establishes a connection between two objects. Then they created "embedding," which facilitates application data insertion. It is a technology that enables you to insert data from one application into another. It's a pretty simple concept, but it can be used to make your life easier in so many ways! For example, you can use OLE to insert a chart into a Word document or an Excel spreadsheet into a PowerPoint presentation. If you've ever worked with someone who used OLE in their writing before, you know how much easier it makes things on both sides. They can save time formatting their charts or ensuring they use the correct fonts. They send over the file, and you do all that for them. You don't have to worry about accidentally changing something in their document or accidentally formatting their charts. They're already done for you! It's not just charts and spreadsheets: OLE can be used for any data that needs to be shared between applications. Ever tried sharing a screenshot via email? That's possible with OLE! Want your friend from work to see what your boss said at this morning's meeting? No problem! Just send them the link so they can see everything as if they were there themselves! We can drag and drop our favorite cat photo into our PowerPoint presentation or embed a video into an email!