[Solved] DDE links break when emailed

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badassbiologist
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[Solved] DDE links break when emailed

Post by badassbiologist »

[Solved]
I have a spreadsheet and a DDE link based writer document (responsive table) that work perfectly.

However, whenever I email the spreadsheet and writer document DDE link based writer document all the DDE links stop working and the table becomes unresponsive. I confirmed that I'm emailing from my native OO 4.1.5 to another computer with OO 4.1.5 Does anyone have a solution to what might be happening?

TY :fist:
Last edited by robleyd on Tue Jan 15, 2019 12:11 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by RoryOF »

On the receiving computer, are the DDE linked file and the original file in the same position as on the originating computer?
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by badassbiologist »

Can you clarify what you mean by position?
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by RoryOF »

Absolute paths.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by badassbiologist »

No the DDE source spreadsheet is the same on both the originating PC and the receiving PC.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by Zizi64 »

Try to check/uncheck the options "Save URLs relative..." in the original documents before you send them.
From the menu: Tools - Options - Load/Save - ...

(And the documents must be located in same directory in the original place and on the target place (at the receiver) too.)
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Please, edit the initial post in the topic: add the word [Solved] at the beginning of the subject line - if your problem has been solved.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by Villeroy »

DDE links open the linked document invisibly. If the document is unavaillable, the link does not work.

The first type of link in [Tutorial] External Links In Calc might do what you want. It stores a hidden copy of the linked data.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by badassbiologist »

Zizi64 wrote:Try to check/uncheck the options "Save URLs relative..." in the original documents before you send them.
From the menu: Tools - Options - Load/Save - ...

(And the documents must be located in same directory in the original place and on the target place (at the receiver) too.)
Should these settings be unchecked or checked?
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by badassbiologist »

Villeroy wrote:DDE links open the linked document invisibly. If the document is unavaillable, the link does not work.

The first type of link in [Tutorial] External Links In Calc might do what you want. It stores a hidden copy of the linked data.
When I check the status the DDE links in the document with DDE links that has been emailed all the DDE links indicate the source spreadsheet document is unavailable. Are you saying this is because the links need to be stored as hidden data?

I was under the impression DDE links could be sent and not become unavailable without special treatment.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by Villeroy »

The setting is not relevant for DDE links since you always specify an absolute path for the DDE link like "C:\badassbiologist\My Files\Folder\Source.ods".

For the other link types it depends on your needs. Relative links might be the preferred choice in most cases. If you want the links to be working on a mail receipient's computer, you have 2 options after you changed the DDE links to URL links:
1. Send only the document with the URL links but not the linked document. The links will work since the sent document has a copy of the linked data embedded. As ĺong as the receipient does not try to refresh the link (import updated data from the source document), the link will work with the embedded data copy.
2. Save relative paths, send both files and tell the receipient to store them in the same directory as they used to be on your computer. The user will be able to modify the linked document and then refresh the links in the other document to reflect the modified data.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by badassbiologist »

So a DDE linked writer document table will not be able to communicate with the linked spreadsheet if emailed to a recipient unless all the DDE links are changed to URL links?

Is there not a way to simply copy and paste a spreadsheet into a DDE linked writer table and email the documents and still maintain responsive functionality?
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by Villeroy »

In Writer: menu:Edit>Links>select the link [Break Link}
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by badassbiologist »

Does breaking the link convert it to a URL link?
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by Villeroy »

Sorry, I was under the impression that you link from one spreadsheet to another. Breaking the link does not modify the content. The content won't be linked to the spreadsheet anymore.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by badassbiologist »

Villeroy wrote:Sorry, I was under the impression that you link from one spreadsheet to another. Breaking the link does not modify the content. The content won't be linked to the spreadsheet anymore.
I DDE link from a spreadsheet to a writer document table. These two documents are responsive and work perfectly fine. When I email these documents to another computer with the same OS version all the links stop working. Let me know if have a simple solution.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by Villeroy »

I just played with this unusual setup. DDE links from Writer to Calc are stored as absolute addresses just like DDE links between 2 spreadsheets are. The absolute/relative URL setting in the load/save options does not affect DDE links. You can either break the link and send the document with fixed values or the receipient has to adjust the DDE link. He has to copy the file path to clipboard, call Edit>Links... [Modify] and then paste the path to the file box. Unfortunately there is no file picker for this.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by badassbiologist »

Villeroy wrote:I just played with this unusual setup. DDE links from Writer to Calc are stored as absolute addresses just like DDE links between 2 spreadsheets are. The absolute/relative URL setting in the load/save options does not affect DDE links. You can either break the link and send the document with fixed values or the receipient has to adjust the DDE link. He has to copy the file path to clipboard, call Edit>Links... [Modify] and then paste the path to the file box. Unfortunately there is no file picker for this.
Is there another way to have a Writer based table respond to changes in a Calc spreadsheet beside DDE links that would not require receipt modification? We want to collaborate with numerous parties and have real-time updates to the Writer based table from changes made in the Calc based spreadsheet.


Thanks for your time.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by badassbiologist »

Villeroy wrote:I just played with this unusual setup. DDE links from Writer to Calc are stored as absolute addresses just like DDE links between 2 spreadsheets are. The absolute/relative URL setting in the load/save options does not affect DDE links. You can either break the link and send the document with fixed values or the receipient has to adjust the DDE link. He has to copy the file path to clipboard, call Edit>Links... [Modify] and then paste the path to the file box. Unfortunately there is no file picker for this.
I just tried this as a recipient and the edit>links>modify file path box is the same as from the sender. The problem is that it is unavailable in the recipients case.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by RoryOF »

Given that the paths are identical on both computers, if the recipient instructed OpenOffice Writer to /Tools/Update all, would that reinstate the working DDE?
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by Villeroy »

The receipient has to push the [Modify...] button and then point to the right source file whereever that is on his/her file system.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by Villeroy »

RoryOF wrote:Given that the paths are identical on both computers, if the recipient instructed OpenOffice Writer to /Tools/Update all, would that reinstate the working DDE?
I would think that the link would not break if the path is the same on both Windows systems.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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Re: DDE links break when emailed

Post by badassbiologist »

Villeroy wrote:The receipient has to push the [Modify...] button and then point to the right source file whereever that is on his/her file system.
Thank you Villeroy. I love you. :fist: :bravo:
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