Web Page Content Taxonomy with Excel - linking images to data

[tweedle]

Hopefully somebody has an idea how to track this.
I'm charged with web-page content taxonomy which typically has an image, but can have multiple flavors per worksheet, each image with call-outs that specify the numeric identifier for any given page component.

Then somewhere on the sheet, or in another worksheet (not a problem, I can find the data blocks), will be the associate data for those page components.
The kicker, and crux of my problem, is that the pasted images and the call-outs all get grouped, un-grouped, re-grouped, etc. as designs change; So the object name/reference keeps changing... but the reference in the data tables isn't keeping up, so the data gets disconnected from the UI design image.

Is there a conceptual solution to this? I've not resolved a reasonable solution.

I did have a model in Visio that attached the data to each call-out, however managing the 20-40 data elements per component was just too cumbersome and not all of the contributors had visio; a fatal design flaw. I see no opportunity for custom properties within Excel.
Ultimately, I need to image and data relationships to maintain their correlation for image export and associated records to be exported to doc/ppt; whatever the template of the day may be.

Any ideas readily accepted.
Thanks!!

[this one is Excel 2003]
Sometimes I sits and thinks and sometimes I just sits.

 

[tweedle]

Bump. No ideas on this this?
If the problem presented is not clear, please let me know.

 

[ZVI]

In Excel the inserted pictures have "Alternative text" property which does not change at grouping, ungrouping, regrouping.
This property can be used for storing an identifier.

How to set it manually:

In Excel 2007 - Right Click on the picture - "Size and properties" - tab "Alt text" - field "Alternative text".

In Excel 2003 use "Format Picture" instead of the "Size and properties"

How to set Alt text by the code:
ActiveSheet.Shapes(1).AlternativeText = "123"

Not sure if it applicable for you, but hyperlink and the linked macro also are remained with the shape, thus they can be potentially used for ID purpose.

 

[tweedle]

Thank You for the reply ZVI.
I did notice that Alt Text was persistent, however interrogating the group to find the picture (there can be multiple in the group) to get the Alt Text is proving cumbersome.
If they swap the pic, then that too is lost - so I think I just need to stay with a naming reference external to the picture/group object.
I've resolved that for this project; we'll use the cell(s) above the .topleft to indicate the relative table.
They can group, ungroup, delete, paste 'til their hearts are content.

I'm not sure how I would utilize the hyperlink object; but it's something I hadn't considered as a persistent item.
Thanks for the suggestion.