Export   

Listing of Formats »

Export["dest.ext",expr]

exports data to a file, converting it to the format corresponding to the file extension ext.

Export[dest,expr,"fmt"]

exports data in the specified format "fmt".

Export[dest,exprs,elements]

exports data by treating exprs as elements.

Export[dest,exprs,elements,options]

uses the specified options.

Details

  • Export handles a large number of formats, each typically with many different possible elements. The possible formats are given in the list $ExportFormats, and in the "Listing of All Formats".
  • By default, Export creates a file in the current directory given by Directory[].
  • In Export[dest,…], dest can be any of the following:
  • "file" or File["file"]explicit file name
    "!prog"export data to a pipe
    CloudObject[…]a cloud object
    LocalObject[…]a local object
  • The following combinations of exprs and elements can be given:
  • exprelemexport expr as elem
    {expr1,expr2,…}{{elem1,elem2,…}}export expri as elemi
    {expr1,expr2,…}{elem1,subelem1,…}export expri as sublement subelemi of elem1
    rules"Rules"export elements and expressions rules
  • When specifying the format, the following elements specifications can be given:
  • {"format",elem}a single element
    {"format",{elem1,elem2,…}}multiple elements
    {"format",elem1,sublelem1,…}subelements of subelements of elem1
    {"format",rules}export elements and expressions rules
  • When exporting using the "Rules" element, rules can have the following forms:
  • elem->vala value for a single element
    {elem1->val1,elem2->val2,…}values for several elements
    elem1->val1,elem2->val2,…an association for several elements
    elem1->{elem11->val11,…}values for subelements
  • Export takes an OverwriteTarget option for all formats. Possible settings include:
  • Falsedo not overwrite an existing file
    Trueoverwrite an existing file (default)
    "KeepBoth"keep the existing file, automatically choosing a name for the new file
  • Use Export[dest,…,options] to provide format-specific options that control the behavior of the export.
  • Export[file,NotebookObject[…],…] when possible exports the content of the notebook referenced by the NotebookObject.
  • New formats can be manually registered in the Wolfram Language. See the tutorial for "Developing an Export Converter".

Examples

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Basic Examples  (4)

Export an image object:

Export a plot as a GIF:

Export a formula as a GIF:

Export a sound as a MIDI file:

Generalizations & Extensions  (2)

Local objects can be used with Export and Import to store data persistently:

Cloud objects can be used with Export and Import to store data persistently:

Properties & Relations  (1)

The first format returned by FileNameToFormatList is used by default in Export:

Specify a different export format:

Wolfram Research (1999), Export, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Export.html (updated 2019).

Text

Wolfram Research (1999), Export, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Export.html (updated 2019).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1999. "Export." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2019. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Export.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1999). Export. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Export.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_export, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Export}", year="2019", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Export.html}", note=[Accessed: 23-July-2025 ]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_export, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Export}, year={2019}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Export.html}, note=[Accessed: 23-July-2025 ]}