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Scilab Help >> Input/Output functions > save

save

Saves some chosen variables in a binary data file

Syntax

save(filename)
save(filename, x1, x2,...,xn)
save(filename, variables)
save(filename, "-append", ..)
save(.., "-append")

Arguments

filename

Character string containing the path of the file.

xi

Names (as strings) of Scilab variables to be saved. Objects returned by expressions -- like gcf() -- can't be directly saved. They must be explicitly named: f = gcf(); save(filename, "f").

variables

A matrix of strings containing the names of Scilab variables to be saved, e.g. ["x1", "x2", ..., "xn"]

Description

save(filename) saves in the file defined by filename all Scilab variables defined by the user, and reachable at the current level.

  • When some global variables are defined, only their local counterparts -- if any -- can be saved. Hence, the "global status" is never saved.

  • If a variable is a graphic handle, save(..) records all the corresponding descending graphical entity definition, including its existing children -- if any.

  • Saving a XML pointer is possible but does not save the pointed object. If in the meantime the XML object is deleted, restoring its pointer won't restore the object. Please see the dedicated example.

  • TCL variables defined from Scilab (with TCL_SetVar) can't be saved. Only their counterparts in Scilab -- if any -- can be considered.

  • Scilab save/load functions use the Scilab Open Data (SOD) binary format, based on the HDF-5 storage format. The SOD format is described there. Scilab binary data files can be read and handled through external HDF-5 libraries or applications.

When only some variables chosen among all defined ones must be saved, their names must be listed after the filename, as in save(filename,"x","y"). If one indicated variable is not defined, the file is not created or overwritten and an error is yielded.

The "-append" keyword can be used in option at any place after the filename. Then, listed variables are appended to the existing file. If some listed variables already exist in the file, their stored values are updated.

Saved variables can be reloaded by the load command.

The archives files generated with save() are portable to other operating systems and architectures (little and big endian automatically handled).
Built-in functions and implicit lists (like 10:2:$) can't be saved.

Examples

With homogeneous arrays of simple data types:

// For each created object, we make a current copy for comparison after restoring.
b = [%t %f %f];          bc = b;  // Booleans
i = int8([0 -17 38 ]);   ic = i;  // Encoded integers
d = [%pi %e %inf %i];    dc = d;  // Decimal numbers (real or complex numbers)
p = (1-%z)^[1 2];        pc = p;  // Polynomials (real or complex coefficients)
r = %z./(1-%z)^[1 2];    rc = r;  // Rationals (real or complex coefficients)
t = ["Sci" "‫البرمجیات‬"];    tc = t;  // Texts
sp = sprand(4,10,0.1);  spc = sp; // Sparse matrix of numbers
spb = sp < 0.5;        spbc = spb;// Sparse matrix of boolean numbers

path = TMPDIR + "/test.dat";
save(path, "b","i","d","p","r","t","sp","spb")
clear b i d p r t sp spb
isdef(["b" "i" "d" "p" "r" "t" "sp" "spb"],"l")
listvarinfile(path);
load(path);
isdef(["b" "i" "d" "p" "r" "t" "sp" "spb"],"l")
[b==bc, i==ic, d==dc, t==tc, p==pc, r==rc, and(sp==spc), and(spb==spbc)]
--> path = TMPDIR + "/test.dat";
--> save(path, "b","i","d","p","r","t","sp","spb")
--> clear b i d p r t sp spb
--> isdef(["b" "i" "d" "p" "r" "t" "sp" "spb"],"l")
 ans  =
  F F F F F F F F

--> listvarinfile(path);
Name                     Type           Size            Bytes
-------------------------------------------------------------
b                        boolean        1 by 3          12
d                        double         1 by 4          64
i                        integer        1 by 3          3
p                        polynomial     1 by 2          40
r                        tlist          4               108
sp                       sparse         4 by 10         76
spb                      boolean sparse 4 by 10         160
t                        string         1 by 2          108

--> load(path);
--> isdef(["b" "i" "d" "p" "r" "t" "sp" "spb"],"l")
 ans  =
  T T T T T T T T

--> [b==bc, i==ic, d==dc, t==tc, p==pc, r==rc, and(sp==spc), and(spb==spbc)]
ans  =
  T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T

With a user-defined macro:

path = TMPDIR + "/test.dat";
function myTest(), disp("User-defined macros can be saved"), endfunction
save(path, "myTest")
clear myTest
listvarinfile(path);
load(path);
myTest()
--> clear myTest
--> listvarinfile(path);
Name                     Type           Size            Bytes
-------------------------------------------------------------
myTest                   macro          1 by 1          0

--> load(path);
--> myTest()
 User-defined macros can be saved

With (nested) heterogeneous containers:

// lists
L = list(%pi,%t,%s^2,"abc",{"Scilab" 2},list(%e,%z/(1-%z))); Lc = L;
// cells arrays
c = {%pi, %t ; %s^2, "abc"};  cc = c;
// array of structures
s = struct("n",%i+1, "p",(1+%z)^3, "L",L, "c",c); sc = s;

path = TMPDIR + "/test.dat";
save(path, "L", "c", "s")
clear L c s
isdef(["L" "c" "s"], "l")
listvarinfile(path);
load(path);
[isequal(L,Lc) isequal(c,cc) isequal(s,sc)]
--> isdef(["L" "c" "s"], "l")
 ans  =
  F F F

--> listvarinfile(path);
Name                     Type           Size            Bytes
-------------------------------------------------------------
L                        list           6               156
c                        cell           2 by 2          48
s                        struct         2 by 2          864

--> load(path);
--> [isequal(L,Lc) isequal(c,cc) isequal(s,sc)]
 ans  =
  F F F

With some graphic handles:

clf reset
subplot(1,2,1), param3d()
subplot(1,2,2), plot2d4(), xtitle("plot2d4()"); a = gca();
path = TMPDIR + "/test.dat";
save(path, "a");       // We save only the right axes (plot2d4)
clf reset, clear a
xload(path);           // The right axes is restored and rendered
gcf().axes_size = [700 300];

With a global variable:

path = TMPDIR + "/test.dat";
clear a
global a, a = 1.234;
isglobal a
save(path, "a")
clear a, clearglobal a
load(path); a
isglobal("a")   // The global attribute was not saved and so is not restored
--> isglobal a
 ans  =
  T
--> save(path, "a")
--> clear a, clearglobal a
--> load(path); a
 a  =
   1.234
--> isglobal("a")
 ans  =
  F

With a XML pointer:

path = TMPDIR + "/test.dat";
doc = xmlReadStr("<root><b>Hello</b></root>");
save(path, "doc")
clear doc             // This does not delete the document
load(path); doc       // We restore the saved pointer to the document. It is still valid.
// Let's delete both the document and the pointer to it:
xmlDelete(doc), clear doc
load(path);           // We restore the saved pointer (to the unexisting document)
isdef("doc","l")        // The pointer is restored...
xmlIsValidObject doc  //  but not the pointed document
--> path = TMPDIR + "/test.dat";
--> doc = xmlReadStr("<root><b>Hello</b></root>");
--> save(path, "doc")
--> clear doc
--> load(path); doc
 doc  =
XML Document
url: Undefined
root: XML Element

--> xmlDelete(doc), clear doc
--> load(path)
--> isdef("doc","l")
 ans  =
  T
 doc  =
--> xmlIsValidObject doc
 ans  =
  F

With the "-append" option:

a = 1; b = %t;
path = TMPDIR + "/test.dat";
save(path, "a", "b");
listvarinfile(path);
a = [%e %pi];
c = %i;
save(path, "a", "c", "-append");
listvarinfile(path);
clear a
load(path, "a"); a
--> save(path, "a", "b");
--> listvarinfile(path);
Name                     Type           Size            Bytes
-------------------------------------------------------------
a                        double         1 by 1          8
b                        boolean        1 by 1          4

--> a = [%e %pi];
--> c = %i;
--> save(path, "a", "c", "-append");
--> listvarinfile(path);
Name                     Type           Size            Bytes
-------------------------------------------------------------
a                        double         1 by 2          16
b                        boolean        1 by 1          4
c                        double         1 by 1          16

--> clear a
--> load(path, "a"); a    // has been updated
 a  =
   2.7182818   3.1415927

save() can't save TCL variables:

TCL_SetVar("myPi", 3.14);   // Creates the myPi variable in the TCL session
myPi    // => error: the variable is a TCL one, not a Scilab one => It can't be save()d
--> myPi
Undefined variable: myPi

See also

  • load — Loads some archived variables, a saved graphic figure, a library of functions
  • save_format — format of files produced by "save"
  • savematfile — saves some Scilab variables in a Matlab MAT-file (binary or ASCII)
  • xsave — save graphics into a file
  • saveGui — Save a graphic user interface in a file
  • write — write in a formatted file
  • TCL_SetVar — Set a tcl/tk variable value

History

VersionDescription
5.0.0 All uimenu or uicontrol handles are also saved by this function.
5.4.0
  • When called with variables names (character string) as input, variables are saved in SOD format (HDF5-based).
  • The Scilab <5.4 binary data format is deprecated.
  • Using save() with a file descriptor as first input argument is deprecated.
6.0
  • save() no longer supports the old Scilab <5.4 data format.
  • The syntaxes save(fid) and save(fid, x1,..) with a file id are no longer supported.
  • Lists with undefined components can now be saved.
6.0.2 The names of variables to be saved can now be provided in a vector.
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Last updated:
Thu Feb 14 14:57:21 CET 2019