object linking and embedding (OLE)
Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) is a dynamic data exchange technique developed by Microsoft that dynamically links objects at the desktop level.
With OLE technology, data can be linked between a wide variety of applications if they are OLE-enabled: Texts, graphics, tables or multimedia elements can thus be integrated into other OLE applications. When linking OLE-capable files, a reference is made to the corresponding file. The original file is retained. With embedding, a copy of the file is included in the document. For example, an Excel file can be embedded in a Word document.
Object Linking and Embedding forms the basis of Open Platform Communications( OPC) and was used in Internet Explorer.