You can take the use of embedded objects one step further—by linking them to their source. With a dynamic link between source and target, your embedded object updates whenever the source changes. When linked, the source and target information are essentially the same file, rather than just a separate copy of one another, which is the case when they are not linked. The advantage of linking objects is that you don’t have to worry about maintaining multiple copies of the same information. When you change the original file, those changes appear anywhere that file is linked. The disadvantage is that it’s more difficult to distribute file with links. You must remember to send the linked files as well as the file that contains the links. Depending on where your recipients save the files, they might have to rebuild the links.
Creating a link to embedded objects is as easy as selecting a check box when you’re embedding the object, whether it’s a fragment you’re inserting using the Paste Special dialog box or an entire file you’re embedding using the Insert Object command.
Be aware that when you link information between Microsoft Project and Excel, you always need to know the current location of the linked file and its update status. If the linked file is moved, the link is broken. If the information in the linked file becomes obsolete, the linked object becomes outdated too. However, when the conditions are right, linking is an excellent way to maintain current information.
In Microsoft Project, you can link an Excel worksheet fragment or chart. To do this, follow the steps in the section titled Embedding Copied Excel Information in a Microsoft Project File earlier in this chapter. In the Paste Special dialog box, select the Paste Link option.
If you want to link an entire existing Excel file, follow the steps in the section titled Embedding an Entire Excel File in a Microsoft Project File earlier in this chapter. In the Insert Object dialog box, select the Link check box.
You can also copy worksheet cells and link them into Microsoft Project table cells. The data looks as if it were originally typed in Microsoft Project, but it’s actually linked to Excel data. To link worksheet cell data in a Microsoft Project table, follow these steps:
In Excel, select the first column of information to be linked in Microsoft Project and then, on the Home tab of the Ribbon, in the Clipboard group, click Copy. By copying and pasting one column at a time, the Excel columns don’t have to be in the same order as the Microsoft Project columns. In addition, the paste links will remain in place even if the columns in the Excel worksheet change or move.
In Microsoft Project, display the view and click the cell that is to become the anchor cell for the linked information.
This anchor cell becomes the location of firstt cell of data selected in Excel.
Click Edit, Paste Special.
In the Paste Special dialog box, click the Paste Link option.
In the As box, click Text Data (see Figure 17-10).
If you select Microsoft Excel Worksheet, an object of the selected cells is embedded and linked, rather than flowing the values into the table cells as text.
The linked information appears at your selection point in your project. When changes occur in the information in the source application, this project file reflects those changes.
Repeat steps 1 through 6 for each column in Excel that you want to link to a column in Microsoft Project.
In Excel, you can link to an embedded Microsoft Project file. To do this, follow the steps in the section titled Embedding an Existing Microsoft Project File in Excel earlier in this chapter. In the Object dialog box, select the Link To File option.
You can also copy a set of table cells in Microsoft Project and link them into Excel worksheet cells. The data looks as if it were originally typed in Excel, but it’s actually linked to Microsoft Project data. To link Microsoft Project table data to Excel worksheet cells, follow these steps:
In Microsoft Project, select the table data to be linked in Excel.
On the Standard toolbar, click Copy.
In Excel, click the cell that is to become the anchor cell for the linked information.
This anchor cell becomes the location of the upper-left cell of data selected in Microsoft Project.
On the Home tab, click the down arrow below the Paste button in the Clipboard group. Then click Paste Special.
In the Paste Special dialog box, click the Paste Link option.
In the As box, click Text.
If you select Microsoft Office Project Document Object, an object with the selected project data is embedded and linked, rather than flowing the values into the table cells as text.
Click OK.
The linked information appears at the worksheet selection (see Figure 17-11). When changes occur to the data in the project plan, those changes appear in this linked data in Excel.
After you have linked information in Microsoft Project or Excel, you can manipulate the information in a few ways. You can edit the source information and then accept updates in the target file from the source. You can review a list of all linked information in the file and then redirect or break the link if needed.
If you try to change information in a linked object, a message indicates that you cannot do so from within the target application without breaking the link. This behavior protects the integrity of the information in the source file. However, you can double-click a linked object to launch the source file in the source application so you can make the changes you want. When finished updating the source, click Save and then return to the target application to see the changes reflected there.
Caution!
Double-clicking a linked object to launch the source file in the source application is different from working with an unlinked embedded object. When you work on an unlinked embedded object, you are working with a copy of the information, not the source file. With linked information, you always need to work in the source because the source updates the target through the link. There is one exception to linked objects: If you copy text from Microsoft Project and create the link as text, Microsoft Project simply copies the text into Excel cells.
In both Microsoft Project and Excel, when you open the file that contains links, by default you see a dialog box prompting you to update the file by using the link (see Figure 17-12). Click Yes to re-establish the link and update any information that has changed since the last time you opened and updated this file.
In Microsoft Project, to review and repair links in your project, follow these steps:
Click Edit, Links.
The Links dialog box appears, showing all links existing in your project file.
If you know that linked data has changed, and you want to update the link immedately, select a link and click Update Now.
If the location of the linked workbook has changed, update the location information in the project by clicking Change Source.
In the Change Source dialog box, type the full path to the source information and click OK. Alternatively, you can click Browse to locate the file.
To break the link with the source application, click Break Link.
When you break a link, the information remains in the project file as a separate embedded object. You can still view and edit the Excel information; it’s simply no longer linked.
To review and work with links in Excel, follow these steps:
In Excel, open the workbook containing the links.
Click the Data tab on the Ribbon. In the Connections group, click Edit Links.
The Edit Links dialog box appears, showing all links existing in the workbook (see Figure 17-13).
If you want to update a link immediately, particularly if you have set a link to be updated manually, select it and click Update Values.
If the location of the linked project has changed, update the location information in the workbook by clicking Change Source.
To break the link with the source application, click Break Link.
When you break a link, the project information remains in the workbook file as a separate embedded object. The link disappears from the list, but you can still view and edit the project information; it’s simply no longer linked.
Note
If you create a link to another Excel file or a file built with another Microsoft Office application, you can check the status of the link by clicking the Check Status button. When you first open the Excel file, the status for the link shows up as Unknown.
When you click the Check Status button, you might see a status of "Warning: value not updated" to remind you to update values. Or, you might see a status of "Source open" to inform you that the source file is open and might be edited.
However, if the link is to a Microsoft Project file, the status shows as "Not applicable." In this case, clicking Check Status does nothing.