Abstract: A generalized link is provided in a data processing system to enable referencing from a point within an organized hierarchy of an on-line softcopy text, to an arbitrary multimedia object. The multimedia object may be represented by data which is also contained within the softcopy book or alternately which may be separate from the book as a separate file or a separate data base. This enables an author at the time of writing the softcopy book, to specify specific multimedia hardware and software support for the display of multimedia presentations accompanying the text in the book. Provision is made for the author to specify alternate forms of multimedia presentation, where a particular specified multimedia apparatus or supporting software is not present at a workstation. An improved method for dynamically updating a softcopy book to a new edition is also disclosed.