Previewing a compound document

1. A method comprising:

providing access to a first document via a first application, wherein a second document includes the first document such that in the event the second document is displayed, content from the first document is also displayed;

receiving an unsaved edit to the first document prior to generating a preview of the second document, wherein the preview includes the unsaved edit to the first document;

generating the preview of the second document that includes (1) content from the first document and (2) graphical content included in the second document and not included in the first document, wherein the preview is in a format capable of being displayed by the first application and generating the preview of the second document includes:

using a processor to access the second document from memory to obtain a data stream;

using the processor to substitute a reference to the first document not having the unsaved edit with a reference to the first document having the unsaved edit by manipulating the data stream on-the-fly before the data stream is input by a rendering engine; and

providing to the rendering engine the manipulated data stream with the reference to the first document not having the unsaved edit substituted out and the reference to the first document having the unsaved edit substituted in; and

providing, via the first application, the preview of the second document that includes content from the first document and the graphical content included in the second document and not included in the first document.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a second application is associated with the second document.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further including receiving an edit to the first document, wherein the edit to the first document is not saved.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further including receiving an edit to the first document, wherein the edit to the first document is performed using the first application.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first document includes an image.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second document includes a webpage and/or references the first document using a URL.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the format capable of being displayed by the first application includes a format associated with the first document.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of second documents reference the first document and a preview for at least one of the plurality of second documents is generated.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second document further references a third document and the preview includes the third document.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein:

the first document is a placed document;

the second document is a compound document where a compound document includes content from at least one placed document; and

the method further comprises:

tracking one or more references between one or more compound documents and one or more placed documents; and

automatically determining, using the tracked references, those compound documents that include content from the first document.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein generating the preview of the second document further includes:

determining whether to create a temporary copy of the second document that includes the first document having the unsaved edit;

in the event it is determined to create a temporary copy of the second document, creating a temporary copy of the second document that includes the first document having the unsaved edit; and

in the event it is determined to not create a temporary copy of the second document, not creating a temporary copy of the second document that includes the first document having the unsaved edit.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein determining is based at least in part on simultaneous access of the second document by another user.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein generating the preview of the second document does not include creating a temporary copy of the second document that includes the first document having the unsaved edit.

14. A system for providing a preview comprising:

an interface configured to:

provide access to a first document via a first application, wherein a second document includes the first document such that in the event the second document is displayed, content from the first document is also displayed;

receive an unsaved edit to the first document prior to generating a preview of the second document, wherein the preview includes the unsaved edit to the first document; and

provide, via the first application, a preview of the second document that includes content the first document and graphical content included in the second document and not included in the first document; and

a processor configure to generate the preview of the second document that includes (1) content from the first document and (2) graphical content included in the second document and not included in the first document, wherein the preview is in a format capable of being displayed by the first application and generating the preview of the second document includes:

accessing the second document from memory to obtain a data stream;

substituting a reference to the first document not having the unsaved edit with a reference to the first document having the unsaved edit by manipulating the data stream on-the-fly before the data stream is input by a rendering engine; and

providing to the rendering engine the manipulated data stream with the reference to the first document not having the unsaved edit substituted out and the reference to the first document having the unsaved edit substituted in.

15. A system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the format capable of being displayed by the first application includes a standardized format.

16. A system as recited in claim 14 , wherein:

the first document is a placed document;

the second document is a compound document where a compound document includes content from at least one placed document; and

the processor is further configured to:

track one or more references between one or more compound documents and one or more placed documents; and

automatically determine, using the tracked references, those compound documents that include content from the first document.

17. A system as recited in claim 14 , wherein generating the preview of the second document further includes:

determining whether to create a temporary copy of the second document that includes the first document having the unsaved edit;

in the event it is determined to create a temporary copy of the second document, creating a temporary copy of the second document that includes the first document having the unsaved edit; and

in the event it is determined to not create a temporary copy of the second document, not creating a temporary copy of the second document that includes the first document having the unsaved edit.

18. A system as recited in claim 17 , wherein determining is based at least in part on simultaneous access of the second document by another user.

19. A system as recited in claim 14 , wherein generating the preview of the second document does not include creating a temporary copy of the second document that includes the first document having the unsaved edit.

20. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

providing access to a first document via a first application, wherein a second document includes the first document such that in the event the second document is displayed, content from the first document is also displayed

receiving an unsaved edit to the first document prior to generating a preview of the second document, wherein the preview includes the unsaved edit to the first document;

generating a preview of the second document that includes (1) content from the first document and (2) graphical content included in the second document and not included in the first document, wherein the preview is in a format capable of being displayed by the first application and generating the preview of the second document includes:

accessing the second document from memory to obtain a data stream;

substituting a reference to the first document not having the unsaved edit with a reference to the first document having the unsaved edit by manipulating the data stream on-the-fly before the data stream is input by a rendering engine; and

providing to the rendering engine the manipulated data stream with the reference to the first document not having the unsaved edit substituted out and the reference to the first document having the unsaved edit substituted in; and

providing, via the first application, the preview of the second document that includes content from the first document and graphical content included in the second document and not included in the first document.

21. A computer program product as recited in claim 20 , wherein the format capable of being displayed by the first application includes a standardized format.

22. A computer program product as recited in claim 20 , wherein:

the first document is a placed document;

the second document is a compound document where a compound document includes content from at least one placed document; and

the computer program product further includes computer instructions for:

tracking one or more references between one or more compound documents and one or more placed documents; and

automatically determining, using the tracked references, those compound documents that include content from the first document.

23. A computer program product as recited in claim 20 , wherein generating the preview of the second document further includes:

determining whether to create a temporary copy of the second document that includes the first document having the unsaved edit;

in the event it is determined to create a temporary copy of the second document, creating a temporary copy of the second document that includes the first document having the unsaved edit; and

in the event it is determined to not create a temporary copy of the second document, not creating a temporary copy of the second document that includes the first document having the unsaved edit.

24. A computer program product as recited in claim 23 , wherein determining is based at least in part on simultaneous access of the second document by another user.

25. A computer program product as recited in claim 20 , wherein generating the preview of the second document does not include creating a temporary copy of the second document that includes the first document having the unsaved edit.