SAVE

Syntax

SAVE device_filename *[,range]* or

SAVE [device_] filename *[,range]*(Toolkit II only) or

SAVE(SMS only)

Location

QL ROM, Toolkit II

If no line range is given, this command saves the whole of the currently loaded SuperBASIC program to the given directory device, under the given filename. However, a range of lines can be given (as with LIST), in which case only the given lines will be saved. If the filename already exists on that device, the error ‘Already Exists’ is reported, unless you have Toolkit II present, in which case, a prompt will be printed in #0 asking you whether it is okay to overwrite that file. If the device is already full, the ‘Device Full’ error is reported, however, the effects should the drive become full during the actual SAVE command, depends upon the implementation (see below).

The file is saved in pure ASCII format, which means that it can be COPYed to the screen or a printer (using COPY_N). The Toolkit II variant of the command will add the data default directory to the filename if it cannot find the given device, or no device is specified.

Examples

Save the whole of the current program to microdrive 1 with the filename BOOT:

SAVE mdv1_BOOT

Save the whole of the current program to the current data default directory with the filename prog_bas:

SAVE prog_bas

Save lines 1, 100 to 150 (inclusive) and 300 to the end of the program to the current data default directory with the filename cut_bas:

SAVE cut_bas,1,100 TO 150,300 TO

NOTE 1

SAVE can lead to incomplete files if the Break key is pressed or the device fills up during access, although Toolkit II (v2.13+) will report any file errors during output (other than the Break key being pressed), leaving the incomplete file on the device.

NOTE 2

Minerva (pre v1.80) deleted the file if SAVE was aborted for any reason.

NOTE 3

If you try to SAVE a file on top of a sub-directory name, Toolkit II will repeatedly ask if it is OK to overwrite that file until you answer <N> (for No).

SMS NOTES

The third variant of the command will allow you to SAVE the program in memory under the same filename as when LOAD or QLOAD was last used (with the _BAS suffix appended if necessary). If the original filename used when the program was LOADed ended in _SAV, then SAVE will alter this to be the _BAS suffix. This variant will also take the version number of the file when it was LOADed (or QLOADed) and then increase this by one.

If you SAVE a file on a disk, then use DELETE to remove that file, and then change the disk before issuing the SAVE command without a filename being specified, SMSQ/E fails to recognise that the disk has been swapped and repeatedly tries to write out the file using the old directory map. Further, if you enter SAVE without a parameter and no disk is in the drive - SMSQ/E asks if it is OK to overwrite the file!!

CROSS-REFERENCE

LOAD loads a saved file from the given device into memory. SAVE_O is another variant of this command. See also QSAVE for a different means of SAVEing a SuperBASIC program.