1 @node System and Portable Files
2 @chapter System Files and Portable Files
4 The commands in this chapter read, write, and examine system files and
8 * APPLY DICTIONARY:: Apply system file dictionary to active file.
9 * EXPORT:: Write to a portable file.
10 * GET:: Read from a system file.
11 * GET DATA:: Read from foreign files.
12 * IMPORT:: Read from a portable file.
13 * MATCH FILES:: Merge system files.
14 * SAVE:: Write to a system file.
15 * SYSFILE INFO:: Display system file dictionary.
16 * XEXPORT:: Write to a portable file, as a transformation.
17 * XSAVE:: Write to a system file, as a transformation.
20 @node APPLY DICTIONARY
21 @section APPLY DICTIONARY
22 @vindex APPLY DICTIONARY
25 APPLY DICTIONARY FROM=@{'file-name',file_handle@}.
28 @cmd{APPLY DICTIONARY} applies the variable labels, value labels,
29 and missing values taken from a file to corresponding
30 variables in the active file. In some cases it also updates the
33 Specify a system file, portable file, or scratch file with a file name
34 string or as a file handle (@pxref{File Handles}). The dictionary in the
35 file will be read, but it will not replace the active file dictionary.
36 The file's data will not be read.
38 Only variables with names that exist in both the active file and the
39 system file are considered. Variables with the same name but different
40 types (numeric, string) will cause an error message. Otherwise, the
41 system file variables' attributes will replace those in their matching
42 active file variables, as described below.
44 If a system file variable has a variable label, then it will replace the
45 active file variable's variable label. If the system file variable does
46 not have a variable label, then the active file variable's variable
47 label, if any, will be retained.
49 If the active file variable is numeric or short string, then value
50 labels and missing values, if any, will be copied to the active file
51 variable. If the system file variable does not have value labels or
52 missing values, then those in the active file variable, if any, will not
55 Finally, weighting of the active file is updated (@pxref{WEIGHT}). If
56 the active file has a weighting variable, and the system file does not,
57 or if the weighting variable in the system file does not exist in the
58 active file, then the active file weighting variable, if any, is
59 retained. Otherwise, the weighting variable in the system file becomes
60 the active file weighting variable.
62 @cmd{APPLY DICTIONARY} takes effect immediately. It does not read the
64 file. The system file is not modified.
73 /UNSELECTED=@{RETAIN,DELETE@}
77 /RENAME=(src_names=target_names)@dots{}
82 The @cmd{EXPORT} procedure writes the active file dictionary and data to a
83 specified portable file or scratch file.
85 By default, cases excluded with FILTER are written to the
86 file. These can be excluded by specifying DELETE on the UNSELECTED
87 subcommand. Specifying RETAIN makes the default explicit.
89 Portable files express real numbers in base 30. Integers are always
90 expressed to the maximum precision needed to make them exact.
91 Non-integers are, by default, expressed to the machine's maximum
92 natural precision (approximately 15 decimal digits on many machines).
93 If many numbers require this many digits, the portable file may
94 significantly increase in size. As an alternative, the DIGITS
95 subcommand may be used to specify the number of decimal digits of
96 precision to write. DIGITS applies only to non-integers.
98 The OUTFILE subcommand, which is the only required subcommand, specifies
99 the portable file or scratch file to be written as a file name string or
100 a file handle (@pxref{File Handles}).
102 DROP, KEEP, and RENAME follow the same format as the SAVE procedure
105 The TYPE subcommand specifies the character set for use in the
106 portable file. Its value is currently not used.
108 The MAP subcommand is currently ignored.
110 @cmd{EXPORT} is a procedure. It causes the active file to be read.
118 /FILE=@{'file-name',file_handle@}
121 /RENAME=(src_names=target_names)@dots{}
124 @cmd{GET} clears the current dictionary and active file and
125 replaces them with the dictionary and data from a specified file.
127 The FILE subcommand is the only required subcommand. Specify the system
128 file, portable file, or scratch file to be read as a string file name or
129 a file handle (@pxref{File Handles}).
131 By default, all the variables in a file are read. The DROP
132 subcommand can be used to specify a list of variables that are not to be
133 read. By contrast, the KEEP subcommand can be used to specify variable
134 that are to be read, with all other variables not read.
136 Normally variables in a file retain the names that they were
137 saved under. Use the RENAME subcommand to change these names. Specify,
138 within parentheses, a list of variable names followed by an equals sign
139 (@samp{=}) and the names that they should be renamed to. Multiple
140 parenthesized groups of variable names can be included on a single
141 RENAME subcommand. Variables' names may be swapped using a RENAME
142 subcommand of the form @samp{/RENAME=(A B=B A)}.
144 Alternate syntax for the RENAME subcommand allows the parentheses to be
145 eliminated. When this is done, only a single variable may be renamed at
146 once. For instance, @samp{/RENAME=A=B}. This alternate syntax is
149 DROP, KEEP, and RENAME are executed in left-to-right order.
150 Each may be present any number of times. @cmd{GET} never modifies a
151 file on disk. Only the active file read from the file
152 is affected by these subcommands.
154 @cmd{GET} does not cause the data to be read, only the dictionary. The data
155 is read later, when a procedure is executed.
157 Use of @cmd{GET} to read a portable file or scratch file is a PSPP
167 /FILE=@{'file-name',file_handle@}
168 @dots{}additional subcommands depending on TYPE@dots{}
171 The @cmd{GET DATA} command is used to read files and other data sources
172 created by other applications.
173 When this command is executed, the current dictionary and active file are
174 replaced with variables and data read from the specified source.
176 The TYPE subcommand is mandatory and must be the first subcommand
177 specified. It determines the type of the file or source to read.
178 PSPP currently supports the following file types:
182 Spreadsheet files created by Gnumeric (@url{http://gnumeric.org}).
185 Textual data files in columnar and delimited formats.
188 The FILE subcommand is mandatory for all implemented file types.
189 Specify the file to be read as a string file name or (for textual data
190 only) a file handle (@pxref{File Handles}).
192 Each supported file type has additional subcommands, explained in
193 separate sections below.
196 * GET DATA /TYPE=GNM::
197 * GET DATA /TYPE=TXT::
200 @node GET DATA /TYPE=GNM
201 @subsection Gnumeric Spreadsheet Files
205 /FILE=@{'file-name'@}
206 /SHEET=@{NAME 'sheet-name', INDEX n@}
207 /CELLRANGE=@{RANGE 'range', FULL@}
208 /READNAMES=@{ON, OFF@}
213 @cindex spreadsheet files
214 To use GET DATA to read a spreadsheet file created by Gnumeric
215 (@url{http://gnumeric.org}), specify TYPE=GNM to indicate the file's
216 format and use FILE to indicate the Gnumeric file to be read. All
217 other subcommands are optional.
219 The format of each variable is determined by the format of the spreadsheet
220 cell containing the first datum for the variable.
221 If this cell is of string (text) format, then the width of the variable is
222 determined from the length of the string it contains, unless the
223 ASSUMEDVARWIDTH subcommand is given.
225 The SHEET subcommand specifies the sheet within the spreadsheet file to read.
226 There are two forms of the SHEET subcommand.
228 @samp{/SHEET=name @var{sheet-name}}, the string @var{sheet-name} is the
229 name of the sheet to read.
230 In the second form, @samp{/SHEET=index @var{idx}}, @var{idx} is a
231 integer which is the index of the sheet to read.
232 The first sheet has the index 1.
233 If the SHEET subcommand is omitted, then the command will read the
234 first sheet in the file.
236 The CELLRANGE subcommand specifies the range of cells within the sheet to read.
237 If the subcommand is given as @samp{/CELLRANGE=FULL}, then the entire
239 To read only part of a sheet, use the form
240 @samp{/CELLRANGE=range '@var{top-left-cell}:@var{bottom-right-cell}'}.
241 For example, the subcommand @samp{/CELLRANGE=range 'C3:P19'} reads
242 columns C--P, and rows 3--19 inclusive.
243 If no CELLRANGE subcommand is given, then the entire sheet is read.
245 If @samp{/READNAMES=ON} is specified, then the contents of cells of
246 the first row are used as the names of the variables in which to store
247 the data from subsequent rows.
248 If the READNAMES command is omitted, or if @samp{/READNAMES=OFF} is
249 used, then the variables receive automatically assigned names.
251 The ASSUMEDVARWIDTH subcommand specifies the maximum width of string
252 variables read from the file.
253 If omitted, the default value is determined from the length of the
254 string in the first spreadsheet cell for each variable.
256 @node GET DATA /TYPE=TXT
257 @subsection Textual Data Files
261 /FILE=@{'file-name',file_handle@}
262 [/ARRANGEMENT=@{DELIMITED,FIXED@}]
263 [/FIRSTCASE=@{first_case@}]
264 [/IMPORTCASE=@{ALL,FIRST max_cases,PERCENT percent@}]
265 @dots{}additional subcommands depending on ARRANGEMENT@dots{}
270 When TYPE=TXT is specified, GET DATA reads data in a delimited or
271 fixed columnar format, much like DATA LIST (@pxref{DATA LIST}). The
272 FILE subcommand must be specified indicate the name or the file handle
273 of the file to be read.
275 The ARRANGEMENT subcommand determines the file's basic format.
276 DELIMITED, the default setting, specifies that fields in the input
277 data are separated by spaces, tabs, or other user-specified
278 delimiters. FIXED specifies that fields in the input data appear at
279 particular fixed column positions within records of a case.
281 By default, cases are read from the input file starting from the first
282 line. To skip lines at the beginning of an input file, set FIRSTCASE
283 to the number of the first line to read: 2 to skip the first line, 3
284 to skip the first two lines, and so on.
286 IMPORTCASE can be used to limit the number of cases read from the
287 input file. With the default setting, ALL, all cases in the file are
288 read. Specify FIRST @i{max_cases} to read at most @i{max_cases} cases
289 from the file. Use PERCENT @i{percent} to read only @i{percent}
290 percent, approximately, of the cases contained in the file. (The
291 percentage is approximate, because there is no way to accurately count
292 the number of cases in the file without reading the entire file. The
293 number of cases in some kinds of unusual files cannot be estimated;
294 PSPP will read all cases in such files.)
296 FIRSTCASE and IMPORTCASE may be used with delimited and fixed-format
297 data. The remaining subcommands, which apply only to one of the two file
298 arrangements, are described below.
301 * GET DATA /TYPE=TXT /ARRANGEMENT=DELIMITED::
302 * GET DATA /TYPE=TXT /ARRANGEMENT=FIXED::
305 @node GET DATA /TYPE=TXT /ARRANGEMENT=DELIMITED
306 @subsubsection Reading Delimited Data
310 /FILE=@{'file-name',file_handle@}
311 [/ARRANGEMENT=@{DELIMITED,FIXED@}]
312 [/FIRSTCASE=@{first_case@}]
313 [/IMPORTCASE=@{ALL,FIRST max_cases,PERCENT percent@}]
315 /DELIMITERS="delimiters"
317 [/DELCASE=@{LINE,VARIABLES n_variables@}]
318 /VARIABLES=del_var [del_var]@dots{}
319 where each del_var takes the form:
323 The GET DATA command with TYPE=TXT and ARRANGEMENT=DELIMITED reads
324 input data from text files in delimited format, where fields are
325 separated by a set of user-specified delimiters. Its capabilities are
326 similar to those of DATA LIST FREE (@pxref{DATA LIST FREE}), with a
329 The required FILE subcommand and optional FIRSTCASE and IMPORTCASE
330 subcommands are described above (@pxref{GET DATA /TYPE=TXT}).
332 DELIMITERS, which is required, specifies the set of characters that
333 may separate fields. Each character in the string specified on
334 DELIMITERS separates one field from the next. The end of a line also
335 separates fields, regardless of DELIMITERS. Two consecutive
336 delimiters in the input yield an empty field, as does a delimiter at
337 the end of a line. A space character as a delimiter is an exception:
338 consecutive spaces do not yield an empty field and neither does any
339 number of spaces at the end of a line.
341 To use a tab as a delimiter, specify @samp{\t} at the beginning of the
342 DELIMITERS string. To use a backslash as a delimiter, specify
343 @samp{\\} as the first delimiter or, if a tab should also be a
344 delimiter, immediately following @samp{\t}. To read a data file in
345 which each field appears on a separate line, specify the empty string
348 The optional QUALIFIER subcommand names a character that can be used
349 to quote values within fields in the input. A field that begins with
350 the specified quote character ends at the next match quote.
351 Intervening delimiters become part of the field, instead of
354 The DELCASE subcommand controls how data may be broken across lines in
355 the data file. With LINE, the default setting, each line must contain
356 all the data for exactly one case. For additional flexibility, to
357 allow a single case to be split among lines or multiple cases to be
358 contained on a single line, specify VARIABLES @i{n_variables}, where
359 @i{n_variables} is the number of variables per case.
361 The VARIABLES subcommand is required and must be the last subcommand.
362 Specify the name of each variable and its input format (@pxref{Input
363 and Output Formats}) in the order they should be read from the input
366 @subsubheading Examples
369 On a Unix-like system, the @samp{/etc/passwd} file has a format
373 root:$1$nyeSP5gD$pDq/:0:0:,,,:/root:/bin/bash
374 blp:$1$BrP/pFg4$g7OG:1000:1000:Ben Pfaff,,,:/home/blp:/bin/bash
375 john:$1$JBuq/Fioq$g4A:1001:1001:John Darrington,,,:/home/john:/bin/bash
376 jhs:$1$D3li4hPL$88X1:1002:1002:Jason Stover,,,:/home/jhs:/bin/csh
380 The following syntax reads a file in the format used by
383 @c If you change this example, change the regression test in
384 @c tests/command/get-data-txt-examples.sh to match.
386 GET DATA /TYPE=TXT /FILE='/etc/passwd' /DELIMITERS=':'
387 /VARIABLES=username A20
397 Consider the following data on used cars:
400 model year mileage price type age
401 Civic 2002 29883 15900 Si 2
402 Civic 2003 13415 15900 EX 1
403 Civic 1992 107000 3800 n/a 12
404 Accord 2002 26613 17900 EX 1
408 The following syntax can be used to read the used car data:
410 @c If you change this example, change the regression test in
411 @c tests/command/get-data-txt-examples.sh to match.
413 GET DATA /TYPE=TXT /FILE='cars.data' /DELIMITERS=' ' /FIRSTCASE=2
423 Consider the following information on animals in a pet store:
426 "Pet Name", "Age", "Color", "Date Received", "Price", "Needs Walking", "Type"
427 , (Years), , , (Dollars), ,
428 "Rover", 4.5, Brown, "12 Feb 2004", 80, True, "Dog"
429 "Charlie", , Gold, "5 Apr 2007", 12.3, False, "Fish"
430 "Molly", 2, Black, "12 Dec 2006", 25, False, "Cat"
431 "Gilly", , White, "10 Apr 2007", 10, False, "Guinea Pig"
435 The following syntax can be used to read the pet store data:
437 @c If you change this example, change the regression test in
438 @c tests/command/get-data-txt-examples.sh to match.
440 GET DATA /TYPE=TXT /FILE='pets.data' /DELIMITERS=', ' /QUALIFIER='"'
451 @node GET DATA /TYPE=TXT /ARRANGEMENT=FIXED
452 @subsubsection Reading Fixed Columnar Data
456 /FILE=@{'file-name',file_handle@}
457 [/ARRANGEMENT=@{DELIMITED,FIXED@}]
458 [/FIRSTCASE=@{first_case@}]
459 [/IMPORTCASE=@{ALL,FIRST max_cases,PERCENT percent@}]
462 /VARIABLES fixed_var [fixed_var]@dots{}
463 [/rec# fixed_var [fixed_var]@dots{}]@dots{}
464 where each fixed_var takes the form:
465 variable start-end format
468 The GET DATA command with TYPE=TXT and ARRANGEMENT=FIXED reads input
469 data from text files in fixed format, where each field is located in
470 particular fixed column positions within records of a case. Its
471 capabilities are similar to those of DATA LIST FIXED (@pxref{DATA LIST
472 FIXED}), with a few enhancements.
474 The required FILE subcommand and optional FIRSTCASE and IMPORTCASE
475 subcommands are described above (@pxref{GET DATA /TYPE=TXT}).
477 The optional FIXCASE subcommand may be used to specify the positive
478 integer number of input lines that make up each case. The default
481 The VARIABLES subcommand, which is required, specifies the positions
482 at which each variable can be found. For each variable, specify its
483 name, followed by its start and end column separated by @samp{-}
484 (e.g.@: @samp{0-9}), followed by the input format type (e.g.@:
485 @samp{F}). For this command, columns are numbered starting from 0 at
486 the left column. Introduce the variables in the second and later
487 lines of a case by a slash followed by the number of the line within
488 the case, e.g.@: @samp{/2} for the second line.
490 @subsubheading Examples
493 Consider the following data on used cars:
496 model year mileage price type age
497 Civic 2002 29883 15900 Si 2
498 Civic 2003 13415 15900 EX 1
499 Civic 1992 107000 3800 n/a 12
500 Accord 2002 26613 17900 EX 1
504 The following syntax can be used to read the used car data:
506 @c If you change this example, change the regression test in
507 @c tests/command/get-data-txt-examples.sh to match.
509 GET DATA /TYPE=TXT /FILE='cars.data' /ARRANGEMENT=FIXED /FIRSTCASE=2
510 /VARIABLES=model 0-7 A
528 /RENAME=(src_names=target_names)@dots{}
531 The @cmd{IMPORT} transformation clears the active file dictionary and
533 replaces them with a dictionary and data from a system, portable file,
536 The FILE subcommand, which is the only required subcommand, specifies
537 the portable file to be read as a file name string or a file handle
538 (@pxref{File Handles}).
540 The TYPE subcommand is currently not used.
542 DROP, KEEP, and RENAME follow the syntax used by @cmd{GET} (@pxref{GET}).
544 @cmd{IMPORT} does not cause the data to be read, only the dictionary. The
545 data is read later, when a procedure is executed.
547 Use of @cmd{IMPORT} to read a system file or scratch file is a PSPP
556 /@{FILE,TABLE@}=@{*,'file-name'@}
557 /RENAME=(src_names=target_names)@dots{}
568 @cmd{MATCH FILES} merges one or more system, portable, or scratch files,
570 including the active file. Cases with the same values for BY
571 variables are combined into a single case. Cases with different
572 values are output in order. Thus, multiple sorted files are
573 combined into a single sorted file based on the value of the BY
574 variables. The results of the merge become the new active file.
576 Specify FILE with a system, portable, or scratch file as a file name
577 string or file handle
578 (@pxref{File Handles}), or with an asterisk (@samp{*}) to
579 indicate the current active file. The files specified on FILE are
580 merged together based on the BY variables, or combined case-by-case if
583 Specify TABLE with a file to use it as a @dfn{table
584 lookup file}. Cases in table lookup files are not used up after
585 they've been used once. This means that data in table lookup files can
586 correspond to any number of cases in FILE files. Table lookup files
587 correspond to lookup tables in traditional relational database systems.
588 If a table lookup file contains more than one case with a given set of
589 BY variables, only the first case is used.
591 Any number of FILE and TABLE subcommands may be specified.
592 Ordinarily, at least two FILE subcommands, or one FILE and at least
593 one TABLE, should be specified. Each instance of FILE or TABLE can be
594 followed by any sequence of RENAME subcommands. These have the same
595 form and meaning as the corresponding subcommands of @cmd{GET}
596 (@pxref{GET}), but apply only to variables in the given file.
598 Each FILE or TABLE may optionally be followed by an IN subcommand,
599 which creates a numeric variable with the specified name and format
600 F1.0. The IN variable takes value 1 in a case if the given file
601 contributed a row to the merged file, 0 otherwise. The DROP, KEEP,
602 and RENAME subcommands do not affect IN variables.
604 When more than one FILE or TABLE contains a variable with a given
605 name, those variables must all have the same type (numeric or string)
606 and, for string variables, the same width. This rules applies to
607 variable names after renaming with RENAME; thus, RENAME can be used to
610 FILE and TABLE must be specified at the beginning of the command, with
611 any RENAME or IN specifications immediately after the corresponding
612 FILE or TABLE. These subcommands are followed by BY, DROP, KEEP,
613 FIRST, LAST, and MAP.
615 The BY subcommand specifies a list of variables that are used to match
616 cases from each of the files. When TABLE or IN is used, BY is
617 required; otherwise, it is optional. When BY is specified, all the
618 files named on FILE and TABLE subcommands must be sorted in ascending
619 order of the BY variables. Variables belonging to files that are not
620 present for the current case are set to the system-missing value for
621 numeric variables or spaces for string variables.
623 The DROP and KEEP subcommands allow variables to be dropped from or
624 reordered within the new active file. These subcommands have the same
625 form and meaning as the corresponding subcommands of @cmd{GET}
626 (@pxref{GET}). They apply to the new active file as a whole, not to
627 individual input files. The variable names specified on DROP and KEEP
628 are those after any renaming with RENAME.
630 The optional FIRST and LAST subcommands name variables that @cmd{MATCH
631 FILES} adds to the active file. The new variables are numeric with
632 print and write format F1.0. The value of the FIRST variable is 1 in
633 the first case with a given set of values for the BY variables, and 0
634 in other cases. Similarly, the LAST variable is 1 in the last case
635 with a given of BY values, and 0 in other cases.
637 @cmd{MATCH FILES} may not be specified following @cmd{TEMPORARY}
638 (@pxref{TEMPORARY}) if the active file is used as an input source.
640 Use of portable or scratch files on @cmd{MATCH FILES} is a PSPP
649 /OUTFILE=@{'file-name',file_handle@}
650 /UNSELECTED=@{RETAIN,DELETE@}
651 /@{COMPRESSED,UNCOMPRESSED@}
652 /PERMISSIONS=@{WRITEABLE,READONLY@}
656 /RENAME=(src_names=target_names)@dots{}
661 The @cmd{SAVE} procedure causes the dictionary and data in the active
663 be written to a system file or scratch file.
665 OUTFILE is the only required subcommand. Specify the system file or
666 scratch file to be written as a string file name or a file handle
667 (@pxref{File Handles}).
669 By default, cases excluded with FILTER are written to the system file.
670 These can be excluded by specifying DELETE on the UNSELECTED
671 subcommand. Specifying RETAIN makes the default explicit.
673 The COMPRESS and UNCOMPRESS subcommand determine whether the saved
674 system file is compressed. By default, system files are compressed.
675 This default can be changed with the SET command (@pxref{SET}).
677 The PERMISSIONS subcommand specifies permissions for the new system
678 file. WRITEABLE, the default, creates the file with read and write
679 permission. READONLY creates the file for read-only access.
681 By default, all the variables in the active file dictionary are written
682 to the system file. The DROP subcommand can be used to specify a list
683 of variables not to be written. In contrast, KEEP specifies variables
684 to be written, with all variables not specified not written.
686 Normally variables are saved to a system file under the same names they
687 have in the active file. Use the RENAME subcommand to change these names.
688 Specify, within parentheses, a list of variable names followed by an
689 equals sign (@samp{=}) and the names that they should be renamed to.
690 Multiple parenthesized groups of variable names can be included on a
691 single RENAME subcommand. Variables' names may be swapped using a
692 RENAME subcommand of the form @samp{/RENAME=(A B=B A)}.
694 Alternate syntax for the RENAME subcommand allows the parentheses to be
695 eliminated. When this is done, only a single variable may be renamed at
696 once. For instance, @samp{/RENAME=A=B}. This alternate syntax is
699 DROP, KEEP, and RENAME are performed in left-to-right order. They
700 each may be present any number of times. @cmd{SAVE} never modifies
701 the active file. DROP, KEEP, and RENAME only affect the system file
704 The VERSION subcommand specifies the version of the file format. Valid
705 versions are 2 and 3. The default version is 3. In version 2 system
706 files, variable names longer than 8 bytes will be truncated. The two
707 versions are otherwise identical.
709 The NAMES and MAP subcommands are currently ignored.
711 @cmd{SAVE} causes the data to be read. It is a procedure.
714 @section SYSFILE INFO
718 SYSFILE INFO FILE='file-name'.
721 @cmd{SYSFILE INFO} reads the dictionary in a system file and
722 displays the information in its dictionary.
724 Specify a file name or file handle. @cmd{SYSFILE INFO} reads that file as
725 a system file and displays information on its dictionary.
727 @cmd{SYSFILE INFO} does not affect the current active file.
739 /RENAME=(src_names=target_names)@dots{}
744 The @cmd{EXPORT} transformation writes the active file dictionary and
745 data to a specified portable file.
747 This transformation is a PSPP extension.
749 It is similar to the @cmd{EXPORT} procedure, with two differences:
753 @cmd{XEXPORT} is a transformation, not a procedure. It is executed when
754 the data is read by a procedure or procedure-like command.
757 @cmd{XEXPORT} does not support the UNSELECTED subcommand.
760 @xref{EXPORT}, for more information.
769 /@{COMPRESSED,UNCOMPRESSED@}
770 /PERMISSIONS=@{WRITEABLE,READONLY@}
774 /RENAME=(src_names=target_names)@dots{}
779 The @cmd{XSAVE} transformation writes the active file dictionary and
780 data to a system file or scratch file. It is similar to the @cmd{SAVE}
781 procedure, with two differences:
785 @cmd{XSAVE} is a transformation, not a procedure. It is executed when
786 the data is read by a procedure or procedure-like command.
789 @cmd{XSAVE} does not support the UNSELECTED subcommand.
792 @xref{SAVE}, for more information.