This is called menu merging. For example, assume that a spreadsheet is embedded inside a word processing document. The user can select the spreadsheet to be edited which will invoke the spreadsheet program. The menus and toolbars of the spreadsheet program will merge with the controls of the word processing program. Once the spreadsheet object is deselected, the original controls of the word processor will be restored.
Automation allows a program to control and send instructions to another program.
The program that is being controlled is called an automation server. The program doing the controlling is the automation controller. A common automation server is a database program. A controller can invoke the server to supply data and to update the database. OLE can not yet be used to build distributed applications.