Embedding images into Pocket Word documents

Applies To

• Windows CE 1.0, 1.01
• Windows CE 2.0
• Handheld PC Professional
• HPC2000

Overview

The Pocket Word application lacks a menu driven facility to embed graphical elements into a Pocket Word document. This article outlines the steps involved in inserting a graphical element into a PWD document on the Handheld PC.

Downloads

• HPC:Factor Windows CE Printer Test Page 1.01

More Info

Element orientated files were introduced into Windows by Microsoft under Windows 3.0 and integrated into Windows with Windows for Workgroups using the Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) API. An OLE subset is available to applications written for Windows CE which make use of common control dialogues or are written to provide an Object Linked user experience. Pocket Word is one such example of a OLE enabled application.

Without a graphical interface to facilitate the embedding if a graphics files as in the "Insert image from file" functionality in Microsoft Word, embedding must occur via the Windows clipboard. When information is loaded into the clipboard (user populated memory synonymous with cut/copy commands) it is stored in the source documents original format. When the information is returned to a program session (through the paste command) it is inserted into the program in its original format, and in its entirety, severing the link to the original file.

Example files are available to download for Windows CE 1.0x and above from the CESD download centre.

How-to Guide

In order to deposit graphical information into the clipboard you require a graphics application with clipboard support. For the purpose of this guide, Microsoft Pocket Paint, available for all Handheld PC versions as part of the three H/PC Power Toys sets will be used.

1. Open Pocket Word and load the document you wish to embed the image into
2. Open Pocket Paint
3. From the file menu open a compatible BitMap file or alternately create a new image
4. Use the select square region tool from the tools list
5. Highlight the image, or image region that you would like to embed into Pocket Word
6. From the Edit menu choose Copy
7. Immediately switch to Pocket Word
8. From the Edit menu choose paste
9. The image will be dropped into the document
10. From the File menu choose save to save the document

As a result of the lack of image controls, only basic formatting is available in Pocket Word. The image will respond to paragraph alignment changes, and can be resized.

To resize the image

1. Single tap the embedded graphic. A bounding rectangle will appear around it
2. Tap and drag the place holders to resize the image. You cannot constrain proportions (prevent it from losing its xy ratio) by holdshift while dragging the diagonal place holders as on Win32.

Limitations
Images are limited to the capabilities of the device's bit-depth
Images will be saved into the document in bitmap format, compression technologies are not supported
Any ActiveSync conversion process on the files will strip the image data. RTF files cannot be used to provide transfer to and from the host. Handheld PC Professional and higher can save natively as Word DOC files.