Refer to documents on the spot by embedding them in your spreadsheet
by T. L. Thomas and Kara Soos
Applications:
Microsoft Excel 2000/2002/2003/2004/2007/2010, Microsoft Word 2000/2002/2003/2004/2007/2010
Operating Systems:
Microsoft Windows, Macintosh
Excel workbooks aren’t designed to house lengthy expositions. Nevertheless, you’ll often need to add sizable text passages to your workbooks. You may be tempted to just cut and paste the information from one application into the other, but there’s a simpler technique you can use that not only gets the job done but also affords you additional capabilities to boot.
To embed a Word document within our Excel spreadsheet, we’ll:
• Create an embedded document from scratch.
• Insert an existing document into your workbook.
• Edit the document you’ve embedded and customize its appearance.
There are times when you wish you could combine a Word document with Excel’s data analysis capabilities. For instance, you might need to provide instructions for completing a worksheet or insert descriptive analysis of your workbook’s data. Simple text boxes and comments can help you add snippets of text-based information to your worksheets, but they’re not always the most efficient tools for the job.
If you find it easier to do your writing in Word, or if the information you want to add to your workbook is already stored and formatted in an existing Word document, here’s a great way to get the best of both worlds. Excel’s Insert | Object command enables you to embed a new or existing Word document in a worksheet, as shown in Figure A.
A:
The sample client letter in this worksheet is actually an embedded Word document.
Embedded objects
An embedded object is a file that’s stored within another file. Embedded objects are also known as OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) objects. An embedded object typically looks and acts like a picture; however, you can easily make changes to the embedded object using commands from its native program.
Embed a new Word document
When you need to include a block of text-based information in an Excel worksheet, a simple text box can usually meet your needs. However, when the information you want to include calls for advanced formatting, layout and printing capabilities, you’ll find an embedded Word document is an effective solution.
To create an embedded Word document from scratch:
1. Select the cell in which you want to anchor the embedded document’s top-left corner. (You can always move the embedded document later.)
2. Choose Insert | Object from the menu bar. In the Object dialog box, click on the Create New tab.
3. Scroll through the Object Type list box and select the Microsoft Word Document option, as shown in Figure B. Then, click OK to add a new Word document object to your worksheet.
4. Add information to the embedded Word document as neede[...]
