OleCreateLinkToFile

Creates an object that is linked to a file.

STDAPI OleCreateLinkToFile(

LPWSTR lpszFileName,	//Points to source of linked object
REFIID riid,	//Interface to be used to communicate with the new object
DWORD renderopt,	//Value from OLERENDER
LPFORMATETC pFormatEtc,	//FORMATETC value depending on renderopt value
IOleClientSite * pClientSite,	//Pointer to an instance of IOleClientSite
IStorage * pStg,	//Pointer to an IStorage instance used as the object storage
void ** ppvObj	//Receives a pointer to the interface requested in riid
);

Parameters
lpszFileName

Points to the source file to be linked to.

riid

Identifies the interface the caller later uses to communicate with the new object (usually IID_IOleObject).

renderopt

Specifies a value from the enumeration OLERENDER that indicates the locally cached drawing or data-retrieval capabilities the newly created object is to have. Additional considerations are described in the Comments section below.

pFormatEtc

Specifies a value from the enumeration OLERENDER the indicates the locally cached drawing or data retrieval capabilities the newly created object is to have. The OLERENDER value chosen affects the possible values for the pFormatEtc parameter.

pClientSite

Points to an instance of IOleClientSite, the primary interface through which the object will request services from its container. May be NULL.

pStg

Points to an instance of the IStorage interface to be used as the storage for the object. This parameter may not be NULL.

ppvObj

Receives a pointer to the interface requested in riid on the newly created object on return.

Return Values
S_OK

Indicates the object was created successfully.

STG_E_FILENOTFOUND

Indicates file name is invalid.

OLE_E_CANT_BINDTOSOURCE

Indicates not able to bind to source.

Comments
The OleCreateLinkToFile function differs from the OleCreateLink function because it can create links to non-OLE aware files (as well as files that are OLE-aware) using the Windows Packager.