1 Introduction

This document specifies the Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) Data Structures:

  • The Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) Data Structures allow data from one application to be stored in the document of another application. The first application is called the creating application and the second application is called the container application. The data itself is called an embedded object.

  • The OLE File Format Data Structures also allow a document from one application to reference data that resides in a different application. The first application is called the container application and the second application is called the creating application. The data being referenced is called a linked object.

For example, a user can embed a spreadsheet (which is data that belongs to the spreadsheet application) in a word-processing document. When the word-processing application displays the document to the user, it can establish that the spreadsheet data belongs to the spreadsheet application and the word-processing application can interact with the spreadsheet application to display the spreadsheet data to the user.

Sections 1.7 and 2 of this specification are normative. All other sections and examples in this specification are informative.