Using the DDE functions, data can be entered into one or more columns in a .qdb file's Data Editor directly from another application. Say, for example, you want to use an MS-Excel spreadsheet for your data storage. From that spreadsheet, you can copy the column(s) containing the data to the Windows clipboard, then use the Paste Link command in this application's Edit menu to paste the data into a comparable region.
With a Paste Link set, as new data is entered into the source application (MS-Excel, in our example), the data is added to the receiving application in real time. This data can then be plotted just like data entered from the keyboard into the Data Editor. The data cannot, however, be edited from the receiving application.