You can insert OLE objects in modules as icons. If you
do not insert the OLE object as an icon, you see the contents of the
file in the object. You can create a blank OLE object, for example
you could insert a new Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet or you can insert an existing file. You can also insert
pictures in modules. You can edit the contents of OLE objects, but
you cannot edit pictures.
OLE was originally introduced by Microsoft as "Object
Linking and Embedding". It was later rebuilt on the Microsoft component architecture known as COM
(Component Object Model). This model enables you to either embed an object within another file or
place an object within a file as a link.
Note: OLE 1.0 images cannot be displayed on systems that are
running Microsoft Windows 7 or later. OLE 2.0 is supported on those operating systems.
If you insert an existing file, you can either link it to the file
on your system, or embed it. If you link an OLE object, the path
to the file on your system is stored with the OLE object. If someone
later updates the file, the change is reflected in Rational® DOORS®.
If you embed an OLE object, you copy the file to the Rational DOORS attribute.
If someone later updates the original file, the change is not reflected
in the copy of it in Rational DOORS.
You can insert OLE objects into any text attribute in Rational DOORS.
There is no limit to the number of OLE objects that can be inserted.
However, OLE objects can affect performance.
Note: You cannot insert
an OLE object into the Object Heading attribute.
If an attribute is displayed in a traceability column in another
module, any OLE objects that have been inserted in the attribute are
also displayed.
Restriction: If you insert a PDF as an OLE object in a
module and your system is associated with Adobe Reader, an error is
displayed if other users try to open the PDF on computers that are
associated with other PDF readers, such as the PDF-XChange Viewer.
The following error is displayed: This OLE can not be
activated because its associated application is not available.
To avoid this problem, insert the PDF on a computer that is not associated
with a PDF reader.
Restriction: You cannot edit an OLE object in a Rational
DOORS Web Access client unless Microsoft Office is installed on the
servers that host the interoperation servers. If Microsoft Office
is not installed, any attempts to activate the OLE object might cause
this error: This OLE object is a static metafile and
cannot be activated.