Save symbol property connections with style
I have a map where I'm aiming to have several color-coded category symbols with key numbering inside the symbology rather than as labels -- I've done that in the past and found it a bit tedious so I thought I'd try this method. This was the example I was sent:
Now, my intuition is to use unique value symbology since my features are categorized into groupings and my categories are a text field (making 'vary by attribute' tricky), and then connect the shape marker text with my field, but I keep running into more tedious corners. If I go to format all symbol classes at once, most parameters are disabled. I can't really hook up the 'text string' field to the field unless I go one by one.
Multiple selected - very few properties appear even though the same style was chosen from the gallery for all layers:
One symbol class selected - the text parameter shows:
One thing that would solve my problem is described in this idea: Access All Editing Tabs When Editing Multiple Symb... - Esri Community
But another way would be to save symbol property connections as a component of the symbol when saving to style. I configured the symbol as a single symbol, and not only does the 'Enable symbol property connections' box uncheck itself when switching to unique values (see Keep Settings when changing Symbology for a Layer - Esri Community ), I found that applying the saved symbol did not retain the connection, even if I re-enabled symbol property connections prior.
The idea, then, is to save symbol property connections as part of the style. Surely, this will not always work as it depends on a field that may not be present, but I can imagine cases where I am symbolizing the same field, and there should really be an easier way to edit that for multiple classes at the same time anyway -- so this would go well with that other idea. Maybe a warning for invalid expression/field would be good, too, or a prompt -- "hey, this property was connected to this field/expression when the style was saved, what field do you want to connect it to now?"