# 5705- The VENTURA Library™

VENTURA Libraries™ are *.VLB files that can store data or publication formatting. This
includes chapters, text, pictures, tags, pages tags, style sheets, graphics, OLE objects, frames, and 
tables. 

                    
Concept
There are a number of ways to check in items into a VENTURA Library™. Within Corel
VENTURA™ 8, they can be dragged directly from a page, the VENTURA Navigator™ , or
another VENTURA Library.  Drag text and picture files from the desktop, from a file
management window such as Windows Explorer, or paste the items from the Windows Clipboard.
To add an item to a VENTURA Library, check out the Library and drag the item into the Library
window. The type of item you are adding to the VENTURA Library determines which methods
you can use.  For more information, refer to the VENTURA Library section of the online Help.


Linking Items
When adding an item from a VENTURA Library into a publication, a link to the item can be
created.  The only items that can be linked are text files and style sheets.  When the item is linked,
any changes made to the item in the publication will be made to the item in the VENTURA
Library. These changes will also be reflected in every publication with a link to that VENTURA
Library item. 

For example, open a publication and a new default publication.  Move the designed style sheet to
a new library.  Hold the Ctrl+Shift key and drag the style sheet from the library to the new default
publication and release it.  The style sheet will now have a chain icon indicating it is linked to the
library.  Right-click the style sheet, select Linked Item, and Check-Out.  The chain symbol will
change to a red check mark indicating editing mode.  Change the Body Text Paragraph Tag to a
font size of 14 points.  Right-click on the style sheet, select Linked Item, and Check-In.  The
linked style sheet in the VENTURA Library will now have the Body Text Paragraph Tag set to
14 points.  Any other publications that are linked to this style sheet in the VENTURA Library,
will also have the Body Text Paragraph Tag set to a 14 point font size.  The same steps should be
applied to a linked text file.

Corel VENTURA 8  can open multiple publications, including publications that are linked to the
same text file or style sheet in the VENTURA Library. This is useful for viewing or editing one of
the publications.  It is important to avoid editing two publications that are linked to the same data
at the same time.  This is because any changes updated in one publication when saving, will
conflict with changes made in the other publication. If there is a text file or style sheet in a
publication that you do not want to be linked to a VENTURA Library, right-click the item in
Navigator and select Embed.

Tips and Notes:
To see which user has items checked out of the Library, right-click an empty area in the Library,
select Multiuser and Check Out Status.

The size of the icons can be changed in the VENTURA Library. To do this, right-click the
VENTURA Library background, click View, and choose an icon size. 

To display the names of items in the VENTURA Library, right-click the VENTURA Library
background, click View, and enable Details.  

You cannot drag frames spread across facing pages into a VENTURA Library.  Use the Copy and
Paste commands instead.

To add selected tags to a VENTURA Library, click the tag from Tag Window and drag it into the
VENTURA Library.

You can also use the Clipboard to add paragraph tags to a VENTURA Library by using the
Paragraph tool. Select the paragraph formatted with the tag, right click and choose Copy.  Right
click the VENTURA Library background, and click Paste.

Externally-referenced files in a chapter that are stored in a VENTURA Library become embedded
when you add the chapter to another publication. If you want the text files to remain external, add
the chapter, right-click the text file in the VENTURA Navigator (Publication manager), and click
Rename File.  Enable the Export on Save check box.

Dragging an item from a Corel VENTURA 8  publication places a copy of the item in the
VENTURA Library.

When moving publications that use VENTURA Libraries it is important to move the libraries with
the publication. To do this, open Windows Explorer, right-click the *.VP file, and click Copy
With Links. If a publication is being copied to a floppy disk or other media where file size is a
concern, embed any items in the publication, rather then have them linked to large VENTURA
Library files.

Libraries in Corel VENTURA 8  increase productivity and power. It is important to remember
that a VENTURA Library can hold a lot of work. It is very important to backup *.VLB files
regularly because one VENTURA Library could contain essential information for many
publications.