R: Save R Objects

save {base} | R Documentation

## Save R Objects

### Description

`save` writes a external representation of R objects to the specified file. The objects can be read back from the file at a later date by using the function `load`.

`save.image()` is just a short-cut for ``save my current environment'', i.e., `save(list = ls(all=TRUE), file = ".RData")`. It is what also happens with `q("yes")`.

### Usage

    save(..., list = character(0), file = "", ascii = FALSE,
         version = NULL, envir = parent.frame(), compress = FALSE)
    save.image(file = ".RData", version = NULL, ascii = FALSE,
               compress = FALSE, safe = TRUE)

    sys.load.image(name, quiet)
    sys.save.image(name)

### Arguments

`...` | the names of the objects to be saved.
`list` | A character vector containing the names of objects to be saved.
`file` | a connection or the name of the file where the data will be saved. Must be a file name for workspace format version 1.
`ascii` | if `TRUE`, an ASCII representation of the data is written. This is useful for transporting data between machines of different types. The default value of `ascii` is `FALSE` which leads to a more compact binary file being written.
`version` | the workspace format version to use. NULL specifies the current default format. The version used from R 0.99.0 to R 1.3.1 is version 1. The default format as from R 1.4.0 is version 2.
`envir` | environment to search for objects to be saved.
`compress` | logical specifying whether saving to a named file is to use compression. Ignored when `file` is a connection and for workspace format version 1, or if `gzfile` is not supported on this platform.
`safe` | logical. If TRUE, a temporary file is used for creating the saved workspace. The temporary file is renamed to `file` if the save succeeds. This preserves an existing workspace `file` if the save fails, but at the cost of using extra disk space during the save.
`name` | name of image file to save or load.
`quiet` | logical specifying whether a message should be printed.

### Details

Almost all current R platforms (including Windows and Macintosh) use the XDR representation of binary objects in binary save-d files, and these are portable across all XDR-compliant implementations.

Default values for `save.image` options can be modified with the `save.image.defaults` option. This mechanism is experimental and subject to change.

`sys.save.image` is a system function that is called by `q()` and its GUI analogs; `sys.load.image` is called by the startup code. These functions should not be called directly and are subject to change.

### See Also

`dput`, `dump`, `load`.

### Examples

    x <- runif(20)
    y <- list(a = 1, b = TRUE, c = "oops")
    save(x, y, file = "xy.Rdata")
    save.image()
    unlink("xy.Rdata")
    unlink(".RData")

    # set save.image dafaults using option:
    options(save.image.defaults=list(ascii=TRUE, safe=FALSE))
    save.image()
    unlink(".RData")

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