Paste link not available

[Giles.]

I'm using Publisher 2003. I have two differently-organised versions of the
same document and want to set one up as the master - where I'll make any
changes - and one as the slave where any changes are replicated. My idea for
achieving this is to paste each object from the master document as linked
objects in the slave.

The help files suggest that I should be able to copy objects from one
document and use Paste Special > Paste Link to put them into the other;
however, when I click on Paste Special, the "Paste Link" is greyed out.

The process looks very straightforward in theory and I'm convinced that I'm
following the simple instructions correctly - but I'm hoping I'm wrong! I've
even tried creating a brand new publication containing just one object and
attempting to paste this as a link in a second new publication - and even
this doesn't work. Does anyone know what's going on?

 

[Charles W Davis]

Paste Special is used to remove all formatting. Simply click where you want
the info and hold the Ctrl key and press the letter V on the keyboard.

 

[Giles.]

Charles,

Thanks for the thought, but won't ctrl-V just paste the item without linking
it to the original file? What I need is to be able to make any changes in
just one document and have them replicated automatically in the second.

Giles.

 

[Mary Sauer]

This option is not available in Publisher. You could open the Office Clipboard
when you are working on your files, it will collect 24 items. It will make it
easier to copy/paste.
Word is more likely to have this option.
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Repeating_Data.htm

 

[Giles.]

Mary,

OK, thanks. Bother - I'll have to live with making the changes twice and
hope I don't mess up.

As an aside, then, do you know what the descriptions in the Help file
actually refer to? The extract is:
--------------
Create a linked object or embedded object from part of an existing file

Open the file that contains the information you want to create a linked
object or embedded object from, and then select the information.
On the Standard toolbar, click Copy or Cut.
Switch to the file where you want to place the information, and then click
where you want the information to appear.
On the Edit menu, click Paste Special.
Do one of the following:
If you want to create a linked object, click Paste Link.
If you want to create an embedded object, click Paste. In the As box, click
the entry with the file format you want to use.

 

[Mary Sauer]

The only place I've ever used the link option is >Insert>object>create from
file>link. Once the link is inserted, you can double-click and edit. Or
right-click, different options are available.

 

[Giles.]

I see what you mean, and that approach would be OK if the inserted obejct
were reasonably small. My problem is that my publication is 56 pages long!

I think that, if I were starting from scratch, I could in theory create 56
separate files and link each one to both of the two documents that I need
(the ones I've been calling my "master" and "slave" publications). At least
that way I'd be editing in one place and the changes would be fed through
automatically to the two publications. Given where I've got to, though, I
think I'll carry on with what I've got.

It seems weird, but I wonder if the supposed ability to link to just part of
an existing file is actually a spurious entry in the Help file!

Anyway, thanks for your advice and thoughts.

Giles.