Difference between Active Configuration and Referenced Configuration

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if any of you would be kind enough to explain to me the difference between iModelDoc2.GetActiveConfiguration and iComponent2.referenced configuration.   I discovered for a macro I'm writing, that I needed to use the latter for it to work correctly, and GetActiveConfiguration was giving me the incorrect config/custom properties that i was trying to pull.   What is the practical difference between the two, and how can you tell what the "Active Configuration" will be predictably?  Or is it better practice to use the component?

Thanks in advance!

-Drew

SolidworksApi macros