You can use a linked object (linked object: Information that is created in one file (the source file) and inserted into another file (the destination file) while maintaining a connection between the two files. The linked object can be updated when the source file is updated.) or an embedded object (embedded object: An object inserted into a destination file. Once embedded, the object becomes part of the destination file. When you double-click an embedded object, it opens in the program (source program) in which it was created.) to add all or part of a file created in a Microsoft Office System program, or in any program that supports linked and embedded objects, to a Microsoft Office Visio file. You can create a new embedded object, or you can create a linked or embedded object from an existing file.
If the file you want to use was created in a program that does not support linked and embedded objects, you can still copy and paste information from the file to share the information between programs.
The main differences between linked objects and embedded objects are where the data is stored and how it is updated after you place it in the destination file (destination file: The file into which a linked or embedded object is inserted. The file that is used to create the object is the source file. When you change information in a destination file, the change is not made in the source file.).
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Linked objects
With a linked object, information is updated only when the source file (source file: The file that contains the information that was used to create a linked or embedded object. The object exists in the destination file. When you update the information in the source file, the information in the linked object is also updated.) is modified. Linked data is stored in the source file. The destination file stores only the location of the source file and displays a representation of the linked data.
Use linked objects when you want to update data that is included in more than one file. For example, if you have a Microsoft Office Word document that describes the steps in a process that you want to include in a Visio flowchart, you can link the Word document to the Visio flowchart. When you update your Word document, the text in the Visio drawing is updated automatically.
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Embedded objects
With an embedded object, information in the destination file does not change if the source file is modified. Embedded objects become part of the destination file and, once inserted, are no longer part of the source file. Double-click the embedded object to open it in the source program.
Use embedded objects to keep all the data you work with in one file, or to transfer the file to other computers. For example, if you want to distribute data about a department's computer equipment along with a Visio network diagram, you can quickly embed a Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet into the network diagram.
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Edit and update linked objects
After you create a linked object, you can make changes to the object.
By default, linked objects (linked object: Information that is created in one file (the source file) and inserted into another file (the destination file) while maintaining a connection between the two files. The linked object can be updated when the source file is updated.) are set for automatic updating. This means that Visio updates the linked information every time you open the destination file (destination file: The file into which a linked or embedded object is inserted. The file that is used to create the object is the source file. When you change information in a destination file, the change is not made in the source file.) or any time the source file (source file: The file that contains the information that was used to create a linked or embedded object. The object exists in the destination file. When you update the information in the source file, the information in the linked object is also updated.) changes when the destination file is open. You can change the linked object's setting to manual updating. That way, the linked object is updated only when you choose to manually update it.
To prevent updates, you can permanently break the connection between a linked object and its source file.
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Edit embedded objects
After you create an embedded object, you can make changes to the object. To edit an embedded object, double-click it, and then make changes to it in the source program.
