Linked Symbols vs. Added Symbols

Linking an external symbol to an automation object creates an association between the object and a symbol in the Graphic Toolbox.The symbol is not natively owned by the object.The linked symbol can be shared with other automation objects, which are not necessarily part of the derivation hierarchy.Changes to the symbol will apply to all automation objects to which this symbol is linked.

On the other hand, adding a symbol to an automation object is to create a symbol that is natively owned by the object. You can edit the symbol within the object, such as when you embed a symbol from the Graphic Toolbox and then customize it as needed for the object. When the added symbol in a template object changes, the changes will propagate to its child objects.

Additionally, deleting the objects with added symbols that are owned by the objects will delete those symbols as well, since the symbols only exist within the objects. However, deleting objects with linked symbols will not delete the symbols because the symbols still exist in the Graphic Toolbox.

Note the following about linked symbols:

• • • Symbols from the Graphic Toolbox can be linked with automation objects.
    • Linked symbols in automation objects can be embedded into other symbols.
    • Editing a linked symbol impacts all graphics and objects in which it is used.
    • References in a linked symbol must exist within the object to which it is linked to resolve warnings.

Some limitations of using linked symbols are:

• • • Custom properties in a linked symbol cannot be customized directly.
    • Only symbols from the Graphic Toolbox can be linked to an object, and sometimes not all symbols can be created within the Graphic Toolbox.

For example, a symbol that has graphics embedded from template objects cannot be created, especially at the template level of containment. You cannot create a symbol within the Graphic Toolbox to embed all graphics from the templates within the containment, so linking an external symbol will not work in this situation.