The software program that can compare changes made in embedded objects provides pixel-to-pixel comparison of images and cell-level comparison of embedded Excel spreadsheets and other changes made to these complex, compound documents. The majority of document comparison software programs have not yet included mechanisms to mitigate the risk related to changes inside of embedded objects. While this enhancement greatly increased the usefulness of documents, it added an entirely new layer of risk to organizations that needed to fully understand changes made to document versions. Compound documents could include text, tables, and various styles, and could also include a range of embedded objects, such as Excel, Visio, ChemDraw, and SmartDraw objects, and inserted images in a range of types (including jpg, tiff, bmp, and gif). However, the third generation of documents (especially Microsoft Word) enabled multiple types of information to be presented in a single document.
A main document with various supporting documents would be used to present and share necessary information. Before third generation technology, it was common for organizations to be required to use multiple documents for one product.
