Hotlink vector/raster files to open in current workspace in ArcGIS 10 similar to MapInfo

Question

I want to add datasets to ArcMap and place them in a particular group layer by simply clicking on hotlinked polygons in a shapefile. The same process is easy in MapInfo and I want to implement the same for ArcGIS 10.

I found the following post http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/8236-Hyperlinks-in-ArcGIS-10 that describes the process in 9.3.1

On properties-->html popup you can load url and any file will open in an external program but I want it to add to the current workspace.

A solution similar to mapinfo--layer control--hotlinks will be ideal but a python based solution will be acceptable as well if it can be added to the relevant vector layers within an mxd.

Answer 1

In the help section for the "Hyperlink Script" dialog in ArcGIS 10.0, there is a paragraph describing how to pass the current IFeature and IFeatureLayer to an ArcObjects library (presumably written in .NET). If you are able to pass an IFeature, then presumably you would be able to access the attributes associated with that feature, such as links to datasets. The trick then would be how to access the current map. You should be able to interrogate the AppRot to get a reference to the current document. That would be the direction I would proceed in.