Reading and Writing Mathematica Files
Storing Mathematica Expressions in External Files
You can use files on your computer system to store definitions and results from Mathematica. The most general approach is to store everything as plain text that is appropriate for input to Mathematica. With this approach, a version of Mathematica running on one computer system produces files that can be read by a version running on any computer system. In addition, such files can be manipulated by other standard programs, such as text editors.
| <<file orGet["file"] | read in a file of Mathematica input, and return the last expression in the file |
| FilePrint["file"] | display the contents of a file |
| expr>>file orPut[expr,"file"] | write an expression to a file |
| expr>>>file orPutAppend[expr,"file"] | append an expression to a file |
Reading and writing files.
This expands
, and outputs the result to a file called
.
Here are the contents of
. They can be used directly as input for
Mathematica.
This reads in
, evaluating the
Mathematica input it contains.
| Out[3]= |  |
This shows the contents of the file
.
This reads in the file, and returns the last expression in it.
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If
Mathematica cannot find the file you ask it to read, it prints a message, then returns the symbol
$Failed.
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When you read in a file with <<file, Mathematica returns the last expression it evaluates in the file. You can avoid getting any visible result from reading a file by ending the last expression in the file with a semicolon, or by explicitly adding Null after that expression.
If Mathematica encounters a syntax error while reading a file, it reports the error, skips the remainder of the file, then returns $Failed. If the syntax error occurs in the middle of a package that uses BeginPackage and other context manipulation functions, then Mathematica tries to restore the context to what it was before the package was read.
Saving Multiple Mathematica Expressions
Mathematica input files can contain any number of expressions. Each expression, however, must start on a new line. The expressions may continue for as many lines as necessary. Just as in a standard interactive Mathematica session, the expressions are processed as soon as they are complete. Note that in a file, unlike an interactive session, you can insert a blank line at any point without effect.
When you use 
, Mathematica appends each new expression you give to the end of your file. If you use 
, however, then Mathematica instead wipes out anything that was in the file before, and then puts expr into the file.
This writes an expression to the file
.
Here are the contents of the file.
This appends another expression to the same file.
Both expressions are now in the file.
If you are familiar with command-line operating systems, you will recognize the Mathematica redirection operators 
, 
, and 
as being analogous to the command-line operators 
, 
, and 
.
Saving Mathematica Expressions in Different Formats
When you use either 
or 
to write expressions to files, the expressions are usually given in Mathematica input format, so that you can read them back into Mathematica. Sometimes, however, you may want to save expressions in other formats. You can do this by explicitly wrapping a format directive such as OutputForm around the expression you write out.
This writes an expression to the file
in output format.
The expression in
is now in output format.
Saving Definitions of Mathematica Objects
One of the most common reasons for using files is to save definitions of Mathematica objects, to be able to read them in again in a subsequent Mathematica session. The operators 
and 
allow you to save Mathematica expressions in files. You can use the function Save to save complete definitions of Mathematica objects, in a form suitable for execution in subsequent Mathematica sessions.
| Save["file",symbol] | save the complete definitions for a symbol in a file |
| Save["file","form"] | save definitions for symbols whose names match the string pattern form |
| Save["file","context`"] | save definitions for all symbols in the specified context |
| Save["file",{object1,object2,...}] | save definitions for several objects |
Saving definitions in plain text files.
This assigns a value to the symbol
.
| Out[51]= |  |
You can use
Save to write the definition of
to a file.
Here is the definition of
that was saved in the file.
This defines a function
that depends on the symbol
previously defined.
This saves the complete definition of
in a file.
The file contains not only the definition of
itself, but also the definition of the symbol
on which
depends.
This clears the definitions of
and
.
You can reinstate the definitions you saved simply by reading in the file
.
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The function Save makes use of the output forms Definition and FullDefinition, which print as definitions of Mathematica symbols. In some cases, you may find it convenient to use these output forms directly.
The output form
Definition[f] prints as the sequence of definitions that have been made for
f.
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FullDefinition[f] includes definitions of the objects on which
f depends.
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When you define a new object in Mathematica, your definition will often depend on other objects that you defined before. If you are going to be able to reconstruct the definition of your new object in a subsequent Mathematica session, it is important that you store not only its own definition, but also the definitions of other objects on which it depends. The function Save looks through the definitions of the objects you ask it to save, and automatically also saves all definitions of other objects on which it can see that these depend. However, in order to avoid saving a large amount of unnecessary material, Save never includes definitions for symbols that have the attribute Protected. It assumes that the definitions for these symbols are also built in. Nevertheless, with such definitions taken care of, it should always be the case that reading the output generated by Save back into a new Mathematica session will set up the definitions of your objects exactly as you had them before.
Saving Mathematica Definitions in Encoded Form
When you create files for input to Mathematica, you usually want them to contain only "plain text", which can be read or modified directly. Sometimes, however, you may want the contents of a file to be "encoded" so that they cannot be read or modified directly as plain text, but can be loaded into Mathematica. You can create encoded files using the Mathematica function Encode.
| Encode["source","dest"] | write an encoded version of the file source to the file dest |
| <<dest | read in an encoded file |
| Encode["source","dest","key"] | encode with the specified key |
| Get["dest","key"] | read in a file that was encoded with a key |
| Encode["source","dest",MachineID->"ID"] | create an encoded file that can only be read on a machine with a particular ID |
Creating and reading encoded files.
This writes an expression in plain text to the file
.
This writes an encoded version of the file
to the file
.
Here are the contents of the encoded file. The only recognizable part is the special
Mathematica comment at the beginning.
Even though the file is encoded, you can still read it into
Mathematica using the
operator.
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| DumpSave["file.mx",symbol] | save definitions for a symbol in internal Mathematica format |
| DumpSave["file.mx","context`"] | save definitions for all symbols in a context |
| DumpSave["file.mx",{object1,object2,...}] | save definitions for several symbols or contexts |
| DumpSave["package`",objects] | save definitions in a file with a specially chosen name |
Saving definitions in internal Mathematica format.
If you have to read in very large or complicated definitions, you will often find it more efficient to store these definitions in internal Mathematica format, rather than as text. You can do this using DumpSave.
This saves the definition for
in internal
Mathematica format.
| Out[22]= |  |
You can still use
to read the definition in.
recognizes when a file contains definitions in internal Mathematica format, and operates accordingly. One subtlety is that the internal Mathematica format differs from one computer system to another. As a result, 
files created on one computer cannot typically be read on another.
If you use DumpSave["package`", ...] then Mathematica will write out definitions to a file with a name like 
, where system identifies your type of computer system.
This creates a file with a name that reflects the name of the computer system being used.
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automatically picks out the file with the appropriate name for your computer system.
