OFF2000: Using the Undo Feature with Inserted Objects (200608)

MORE INFORMATION

Each Microsoft Office program includes an Undo command. This command enables you to undo certain actions after you perform them; for example, if you type a value in a worksheet cell, you can undo the action. To use the Undo command, do either of the following:

• Click Undo on the Edit menu.
  
  -or-
• Click the Undo tool on the Standard toolbar.

When you click the arrow next to the Undo button on the Standard toolbar, you can see a list of the actions that you performed. This list is called the "undo stack." Usually, the undo stack is cleared only when you perform an irreversible action, such as closing a file. When you reopen the file, no items are listed in the undo stack.

However, when you insert an object into another program, the behavior of the undo stack may become cleared when you deactivate and reactive the object.

Microsoft Word Document Objects

When you insert a Microsoft Word document into another program, make changes to the document, deactivate, and then reactivate the document object, the undo stack is not cleared. As a result, you can still undo changes that you previously made to the Word document object.

Microsoft Excel Worksheet Objects and Chart Objects

When you insert a Microsoft Excel worksheet object or chart object into another program, make changes to the worksheet, deactivate, and then reactivate the worksheet object, the undo stack is cleared. You cannot undo changes that you previously made to the Excel worksheet or chart object.

Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation Objects

When you insert a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation object into another program, make changes to the presentation, deactivate, and then reactivate the presentation object, the undo stack is cleared. You cannot undo changes that you previously made to the PowerPoint presentation object.

Microsoft Access Database Objects

You cannot insert a Microsoft Access database object into another program.

Example

To see an example of the behavior of the undo stack, follow these steps:

1. In Microsoft Word, create a new document.
2. On the Insert menu, click Object. In the Object Type list, click Microsoft Excel Worksheet, and then click OK.
3. In the Microsoft Excel worksheet object, type values in some of the cells.
4. Click the arrow next to the Undo button on the Standard toolbar.
   
   Note that the list contains several items, such as Typing. When you are finished, click any cell in the worksheet object.
5. Deactivate the worksheet object by clicking in the Microsoft Word document.
6. Reactivate the worksheet object by double-clicking it.
7. Click the Undo arrow on the Standard toolbar.

Note that the list contains only one item named Last.

If you perform these same steps when you use a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation object, the behavior is the same. If you insert a Microsoft Word document object into another program, the Undo list contains all the same items after you reactivate the document object.