Source Key Protection for Routines and Add-On Instructions

When a component is protected with a Source Key, users without the source key cannot alter the logic of the component. This affects:
  • Editing - The Language editor does not open and the edit menus in the Controller and Logical Organizers are unavailable. The component icon is unavailable. If the component is protected with the
    Viewable
     option, users can open the routine editor in read-only mode.
  • Printing - Cannot print routines. Can print Add-On instructions, but the routines and local tags are not included in the print out. Can print routine logic and Add-On Instruction local tags if components are protected with the Viewable option.
  • Exporting - Writes the protected component to the export file in an encoded format.
  • Component Properties - All controls on the dialog boxes of the components are read-only.
  • Search and Replace -
    Find All
     is the only available search type source.
    Find Next
    ,
    Replace All
    , and
    Replace Next
     skip the protected component. When the protected component is skipped, a message appears on the status bar indicating the source is not available. This message is also logged to the
    search results
     tab when performing a
    Replace All
    search. If a component is protected with the
    Viewable
     option, search is permitted but replace is still prevented.
Because users cannot view the logic of a protected routine, the
Find All
search results items do not navigate to the found locations. This affects:
  • Navigation - Users cannot navigate to a protected component.
  • Verification - Users cannot navigate to an error in a protected component.
  • Cross Reference - Cross reference information displays for items referenced within a protected component, but users cannot to navigate to the location within the protected component. Double-clicking to navigate to a protected component beeps and displays a message on the status bar indicating that users are unable to edit the component and that the source is not available.
The
Go to Location
 menu item is unavailable.
  • Go To - No edit item in the
    Go To
     dialog box for a protected component.
  • Cut, Copy, Paste - Users can copy, paste, and drag and drop protected components from the
    Controller and Logical Organizers
    .
    IMPORTANT:
    Use caution when copying and pasting components between different versions of the
    Logix Designer
     application. The application only supports pasting to the same version or newer version of the application. The application does not support pasting to an earlier version of the application. When pasting to an earlier version, the paste action may succeed, but the results may be unintended. Do not paste protected components from later versions of the application into earlier versions of the application. For example, attempting to paste from version 19 into version 18 or from version 20 into version 19 fails.
Source Key Protected with Viewable Option
Selecting the
Allow viewing of component(s)
option allows users without the source key to view the content of the component, including logic and local tags. Users cannot edit the component.
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