Generate Data Links dialog box

If you have text in your drawing that matches information in a table, use this dialog to automatically create links based on the matched information. You can create links to an external database table or to an object data table stored with the current drawing.

Select a linkage type. Set options for that type. After you click OK, you are prompted to select the blocks, text, enclosed blocks, or enclosed text.

Note:

You cannot create links to objects on layers that are locked, frozen, or turned off.

Block

If you are creating links to blocks or enclosed blocks, select the name of the block.

Keys and Tags

For each key field in the link template, select a tag from the block attribute. You can assign a tag to only one key field. (If you are creating links to enclosed text, skip this step.)

Use Insertion Point as Label Point

Use the insertion point of the text or block as the default label point for the object.

Table/Link Template

Select the table or the link template for the database table containing the matching data. The complete record is linked to the object.

• If you link data from blocks or enclosed blocks to an object data table, the attribute data is linked only if attribute tags match field names in the table.
• If you link data from blocks or enclosed blocks to an external table, use the Data Links area to specify which attribute tags correspond to the key fields.
• If you link data to text or enclosed text, you must select a table with only one field or a link template with only one key field. The remaining controls are grouped in the following areas:

Data Links

Specify whether you are linking to object data or an external database.

Create Object Data Records

Create records in an object data table stored with the current drawing. These new records are attached to the objects.

Create Database Links

Create links to an external database table. Select a Database Validation option to specify whether to link only to existing records or to create new records.

Linkage Type

Select a linkage type.

After you click OK, you are prompted to select the blocks, text, enclosed blocks, or enclosed text.

Blocks

Create links from block attribute data. The links are created on the blocks themselves.

Text

Create links from text. The link data is stored on the text object.

Enclosed Blocks

Create links from block attribute data. The links are created on the polyline that encloses the block. Blocks that are not enclosed by a polyline are not linked.

Enclosed Text

Create links from text that lies within a closed polyline. The links are created on the closed polyline that encloses the text. Text that is not enclosed by a polyline is not linked.

Database Validation

If you are creating links to an external table, select a validation option.

None

Create links without checking the database.

Link Must Exist

Create a link only where the text or attribute tag value matches an existing record's key field value. If you are creating links to an Excel spreadsheet, the selected link template must point to a named range and not to a worksheet.

Create If New

Create a new record in the table if no existing record matches. The new record will have the key field values filled in, but other fields will be blank.