• external, the default, where dependencies, if any, are found transitively
• embedded, where dependencies are found inside the component, but using the same namespace as the original dependencies
• shadowed, where dependencies are found inside the component, but within a different namespace to avoid name clashes

As a practical example, let's consider the Java ecosystem:

• Jar component:
  • external indicates that transitive dependencies are themselves component jars
  • embedded indicates that transitive dependencies have been included inside the component jar, without modifying their packages
  • shadowed indicates that transitive dependencies have been included inside the component jar, under different packages to prevent conflicts
• Sources component:
  • external indicates that the source of transitive dependencies are themselves source jars
  • embedded indicates that the source of transitive dependencies have been included inside the component source jar, without modifying their packages
  • shadowed indicates that the source of transitive dependencies have been included inside the component source jar, under different packages