Home
Components of the Sym application
The three main components of the Sym application are the content, the tools used to edit and manage the content and the libraries that provide the objects and functionality that are used to create and edit expressions.
Content
Content windows include Document Modules, Object Modules and Unit Test Modules. With the exception of the Properties windows which are attached to modules, all of the windows in the Sym application can be dragged and docked in a variety of locations to provide a way to customize the layout of the main application window.
Object Modules
An Object Module contains object definitions. Object definitions contain the name, type definition, renderings, code and properties that define the functionality of every object. Object Modules are created, edited and managed using the Document Explorer.

Components of the Sym application
The three main components of the Sym application are the content, the tools used to edit and manage the content and the libraries that provide the objects and functionality that are used to create and edit expressions.
- Content
  Content windows include Document Modules, Object Modules and Unit Test Modules. With the exception of the Properties windows which are attached to modules, all of the windows in the Sym application can be dragged and docked in a variety of locations to provide a way to customize the layout of the main application window.
  - Document Modules
    The content of a document is contained in modules. There are three types of modules, Document modules, Object modules and Unit test modules. Document modules allow you to put expressions and text in a module, they can be compared to a page or a chapter in a book. You can insert expressions and text that is organized similar to a word processing application, but you can also place expressions and text anywhere in the module.
  - Object Modules
    An Object Module contains object definitions. Object definitions contain the name, type definition, renderings, code and properties that define the functionality of every object. Object Modules are created, edited and managed using the Document Explorer.
  - Unit Test Modules
    A Unit Test Module contains a list of unit tests. Unit test modules are created and managed in the Document Explorer.
  - The Properties Window
    The Properties pane is attached to all of the modules - Document Modules, Object Modules and Unit Test Modules. The Properties pane displays information about the currently highlighted expression.
- Tools
  In addition to the content of the application there are several tools available to assist you in creating and managing the content of a document, like the Document Explorer, Object Browser and Unit Test Runner.
- Libraries
  There are a number of libraries that are available online that can be used with Sym documents.
- Dialogs

Object Modules

An Object Module contains object definitions. Object definitions contain the name, type definition, renderings, code and properties that define the functionality of every object. Object Modules are created, edited and managed using the Document Explorer.

The object definitions in an Object Module are contained inside of a namespace.

Object modules can be added to the current document or they can be added to a library. When a module file is added directly in a document, the definitions contained within that module will be accessible only to that document. When an Object Module is added to a library, the object definitions in that module are available in any document that references the library.

NOTE:

Only libraries that are local can be edited. The functionality of an object can typically be modified by creating an extension to the object, either in a new library or in the current document and this approach avoids issues with doing updates. See Extending Object Definitions for more information.