When you save a repository object to a report without linking it to the source object, the local object (the object on the current report) is not linked to the saved object in the repository. Changes to the local object do not affect the object saved to the repository, and changes to the repository object do not affect the local object in the report.
This option enables you to customize your report’s copy of the report object to suit your individual requirements.
The following figure illustrates the behavior of linked and local objects in a report.
In Report A, Report Object 1 is copied from the repository as a local object. Changes made to the local report object are not reflected in the source object. Report Object 3 is linked to its source object in the repository. Changes made to Report Object 3, when saved, are reflected in the source object and other reports that are linked to that source object, including Report Object 3 in Report B.