Microsoft Project 2013: The Missing Manual

Understanding Linking and Embedding

Linking and embedding both help you see data from one program in another program. However, these two methods for sharing data have their differences. By understanding what each one does, you’ll be able to choose the right approach for what you’re trying to do. This section describes the differences between linking and embedding and provides a side-by-side comparison to help you weigh the pros and cons.

Here are the differences between linking and embedding:

• Linking means the data remains in the source file, and the destination file merely displays the source file’s data. Linked objects get updated automatically, because the data you see in the destination file and the source data are one and the same, so the data in the destination file changes when the source data does.

  When you double-click a linked object, the source program starts and you can edit the source file. For example, suppose you link your Project schedule to a PowerPoint slide, and you spot a schedule change you want to make. Double-click the linked object in the PowerPoint slide, and Project launches and opens the source Project file. Any changes you make are saved in the source Project file and appear automatically in the PowerPoint slide.

• Embedding means that a separate copy of the source file (called an embedded object) becomes part of the destination file. The source file still exists, but the embedded object is independent and doesn’t change when the source data changes.

  In most ...