--- title: "Export" language: "en" type: "Symbol" summary: "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." keywords: - export filters - AIFF format - animations - arrays - audio - AU format - AutoCAD format - AVI - biomedical image format - bitmap graphics formats - BMP - CAD - comma-separated values - computer-aided design - conversions - CSV format - data - desktop publishing - DICOM - DIF format - drawing format - draw programs - DXF format - encapsulated PostScript - EPS - EPSF - EPSI - EPSTIFF - Excel format - exporting graphics - exporting sounds - ExpressionML - external data - files - FITS format - flexible Image Transport System - foreign data - geometry data - GIF - HDF - hierarchical Data Format - images - interchange format - JFIF - JPEG - lines of text - lists - lithography - Lotus 1-2-3 format - Macintosh PICT - MAT format - matrices - matrix Market format - medical imaging - Metafile format - MGF graphics format - Microsoft metafile format - Microsoft wave format - MTX format - mu law format - NotebookML - output - paint programs - PBM graphics format - PCX - PGM graphics format - PICT - pictures - Pixmap graphics format - PNG - PNM graphics format - portable anymap format - portable bitmap format - portable graymap format - portable pixmap format - PPM graphics format - radiology formats - raster conversion - scalable vector graphics - SND format - solid object modeling - sounds - spreadsheets - stereo-lithography - STL format - strings - SVG - SymbolicXML - tables - tabular data - three-dimensional graphics - TIFF - TSV format - WAV format - web - Windows metafile format - WMF - writing - X Windows graphics format - XBitmap format - XLS format - XML - IDLgrVRML - WRITE_BMP - WRITE_GIF - WRITE_IMAGE - WRITE_JPEG - WRITE_JPEG2000 - WRITE_PICT - WRITE_PNG - WRITE_PPM - WRITE_SPR - WRITE_TIFF - WRITE_WAV - WRITE_WAVE - XOBJVIEW_WRITE_IMAGE - deflate - plotoutput - write - cdfepoch - cdfwrite - csvwrite - dlmwrite - dicomdict - dicominfo - dicomlookup - dicomread - dicomuid - dicomanon - dicomwrite - getframe - gzip - hdf5write - im2frame - immovie - imwrite - movie2avi - multibandwrite - print - tar - texlabel - urlwrite - wavwrite - xlswrite - xmlwrite - zip canonical_url: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Export.html" source: "Wolfram Language Documentation" related_guides: - title: "Importing and Exporting" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ImportingAndExporting.en.md" - title: "Graphics Importing & Exporting" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/GraphicsImportingAndExporting.en.md" - title: "WDF (Wolfram Data Framework)" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/WDFWolframDataFramework.en.md" - title: "Raster Image Formats" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/RasterImageFormats.en.md" - title: "C/C++ Language Interface" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/CLanguageInterface.en.md" - title: "Creating Web Pages" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/CreatingWebPages.en.md" - title: "Audio Formats" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/AudioFormats.en.md" - title: "Importing & Exporting in Notebooks" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ImportingAndExportingInNotebooks.en.md" - title: "XML Import & Export" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/XMLImportAndExport.en.md" - title: "Multimedia Formats" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/MultimediaFormats.en.md" - title: "Tabular Communication" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/TabularCommunication.en.md" - title: "Audio Representation" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/AudioRepresentation.en.md" - title: "Files" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/Files.en.md" - title: "Video Creation" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/VideoCreation.en.md" - title: "Colors" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/Colors.en.md" - title: "External Operations" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ExternalOperations.en.md" - title: "Wolfram Language File Formats" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/WolframLanguageFileFormats.en.md" - title: "Persistent Storage" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/PersistentStorage.en.md" - title: "Video Processing" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/VideoProcessing.en.md" - title: "Tabular Processing Overview" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/TabularProcessing.en.md" - title: "Handling Live Mailboxes" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/HandlingLiveMailboxes.en.md" - title: "Local Objects" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/LocalObjects.en.md" - title: "Internet and Computer Systems Data" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/InternetAndWebRelatedData.en.md" - title: "Neural Network Construction & Properties" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/NeuralNetworkConstruction.en.md" related_workflows: - title: "Make Publication-Quality Graphics" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/workflow/MakePublicationQualityGraphics.en.md" - title: "Save a Notebook as a PDF" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/workflow/SaveANotebookAsAPDF.en.md" - title: "Generate JSON" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/workflow/GenerateJSON.en.md" related_functions: - title: "Import" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Import.en.md" - title: "ExportString" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ExportString.en.md" - title: "$ExportFormats" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$ExportFormats.en.md" - title: "FileFormatProperties" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FileFormatProperties.en.md" - title: "SetFileFormatProperties" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetFileFormatProperties.en.md" - title: "FileNameToFormatList" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FileNameToFormatList.en.md" - title: "CloudExport" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CloudExport.en.md" - title: "FileConvert" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FileConvert.en.md" - title: "Write" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Write.en.md" - title: "BinaryWrite" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/BinaryWrite.en.md" - title: "Put" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Put.en.md" - title: "Rasterize" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Rasterize.en.md" - title: "ExportForm" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ExportForm.en.md" - title: "DumpSave" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DumpSave.en.md" - title: "SendMail" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SendMail.en.md" - title: "FunctionCompileExport" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FunctionCompileExport.en.md" related_tutorials: - title: "Importing and Exporting Data" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/ImportingAndExporting.en.md#21778" - title: "Importing and Exporting Files" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/ImportingAndExporting.en.md#30732" - title: "Exporting Graphics and Sounds" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/ImportingAndExporting.en.md#1790" - title: "Developing an Export Converter" link: "https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/ImportingAndExporting.en.md#498660614" --- # 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"](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ListingOfAllFormats.en.md). * 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: | | | | | ----------------- | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | | expr | elem | export 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 -> val | a 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: | | | | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | False | do not overwrite an existing file | | True | overwrite 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".](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/ImportingAndExporting.en.md#498660614) --- ## Examples (19) ### Basic Examples (4) Export an image object: ```wl In[1]:= Export["landscape.jpg", [image]] Out[1]= "landscape.jpg" ``` --- Export a plot as a GIF: ```wl In[1]:= Export["test.gif", Plot[Sin[x], {x, 0, 10}]] Out[1]= "test.gif" ``` --- Export a formula as a GIF: ```wl In[1]:= Export["test.gif", Integrate[1 / (x ^ 4 - 1), x]] Out[1]= "test.gif" In[2]:= Import[%] Out[2]= [image] ``` --- Export a sound as a MIDI file: ```wl In[1]:= Export["middlec.mid", Sound[{SoundNote["C"], SoundNote["G"]}]] Out[1]= "middlec.mid" ``` ### Scope (11) #### Basic Uses (3) Export a ``SparseArray`` to a Matrix Market file: ```wl In[1]:= s = SparseArray[{{1, 1} -> 1, {2, 2} -> 2, {3, 3} -> 3, {1, 3} -> 4}] Out[1]= SparseArray[Automatic, {3, 3}, 0, {1, {{0, 2, 3, 4}, {{1}, {3}, {2}, {3}}}, {1, 4, 2, 3}}] In[2]:= Export["file.mtx", s] Out[2]= "file.mtx" ``` --- Export a ``Dataset`` to a ``"JSONLines"`` file: ```wl In[1]:= ds = Dataset[Table[<|"a" -> 3i, "b" -> 3i + 2, "c" -> 3i + 5|>, {i, 3}]] Out[1]= Dataset[{Association["a" -> 3, "b" -> 5, "c" -> 8], Association["a" -> 6, "b" -> 8, "c" -> 11], Association["a" -> 9, "b" -> 11, "c" -> 14]}] In[2]:= Export["file.jsonl", ds] Out[2]= "file.jsonl" ``` --- Export a ``Tabular`` object to a ``"Parquet"`` file: ```wl In[1]:= tabular = Import["ExampleData/USstates.orc"] Out[1]= [image] In[2]:= Export["file.parquet", tabular] Out[2]= "file.parquet" ``` #### Types of Formats (8) ##### Audio (1) --- Export an ``Audio`` object to an ``"MP3"`` file: ```wl In[1]:= audio = AudioGenerator["Sin"] Out[1]= \!\(\*AudioBox["![Embedded Audio Player](audio://content-ugcc2)"]\) In[2]:= Export["file.mp3", \!\(\*AudioBox["![Embedded Audio Player](audio://content-491zl)"]\)] Out[2]= "file.mp3" ``` ##### Graphics (1) --- Export a ``Graphics`` object to an ``"SVG"`` file: ```wl In[1]:= graphics = Graphics[{Red, Disk[], Green, Rectangle[{0, 0}, {2, 2}], Blue, Disk[{2, 2}]}] Out[1]= [image] In[2]:= Export["file.svg", graphics] Out[2]= "file.svg" In[3]:= FilePrint[%] ``` ##### 3D Graphics (1) --- Export a 3D model to an ``"X3D"`` file: ```wl In[1]:= Export["model.x3d", [image]] Out[1]= "model.x3d" In[2]:= FilePrint[%] ``` ##### Image (1) --- Export an ``Image`` object to a ``"JPEG"`` file: ```wl In[1]:= Export["file.jpeg", [image]] Out[1]= "file.jpeg" ``` ##### Spreadsheet (1) --- Export a ``Tabular`` object to an ``"XLSX"`` file: ```wl In[1]:= tabular = Tabular[{<|"name" -> "John", "age" -> 25|>, <|"name" -> "Anne", "age" -> 20|>, <|"name" -> "Rob", "age" -> Missing[]|>}] Out[1]= Tabular[Association["RawSchema" -> Association["ColumnProperties" -> Association["name" -> Association["ElementType" -> "String"], "age" -> Association["ElementType" -> "Integer64"]], "KeyColumns" -> None, "Backend" -> "WolframKer ... ata" -> {{25, 20, 0}, {}, DataStructure["BitVector", {"Data" -> ByteArray["+w=="], "Capacity" -> 3, "BitCount" -> 2}] -> Missing[]}, "ElementType" -> "Integer64", "CachedOriginalExpression" -> {25, 20, Missing[]}]]}}]]]] In[2]:= Export["file.xlsx", tabular] Out[2]= "file.xlsx" ``` ##### Text (2) --- Export some text to a text file: ```wl In[1]:= (text = Import["ExampleData/USConstitution.txt"])//Snippet Out[1]= "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union," In[2]:= Export["file.txt", text] Out[2]= "file.txt" ``` --- Export a matrix to a ``"Markdown"`` file: ```wl In[1]:= matrix = {{a, b}, {c, d}, {e, f}} Out[1]= {{a, b}, {c, d}, {e, f}} In[2]:= Export["file.md", matrix]//FilePrint | | | | - | - | | a | b | | c | d | | e | f | ``` ##### Video (1) --- Export an animation to an ``"MP4"`` file: ```wl In[1]:= animation = Manipulate[Plot[Sin[a x], {x, 0, 10}], {a, 1, 5}] Out[1]= DynamicModule[«8»] In[2]:= Export["file.mp4", animation] Out[2]= "file.mp4" ``` ### Generalizations & Extensions (2) Local objects can be used with ``Export`` and ``Import`` to store data persistently: ```wl In[1]:= Export[LocalObject["plot"], Plot[Sin[x], {x, 0, 10}], "PNG"] Out[1]= LocalObject["file:///home/home1/user/.Wolfram/Objects/plot"] In[2]:= Import[%] Out[2]= [image] ``` --- Cloud objects can be used with ``Export`` and ``Import`` to store data persistently: ```wl In[1]:= Export[CloudObject["plot"], Plot[Sin[x], {x, 0, 10}], "PNG"] Out[1]= CloudObject["https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/user-b0c28e9f-876d-4478-9d8b-9e7d18a9ea81/plot"] In[2]:= Import[%] Out[2]= [image] ``` ### Options (1) #### OverwriteTarget (1) Create a file: ```wl In[1]:= Export["file.png", RandomImage[]] Out[1]= "file.png" ``` By default, ``Export`` overwrites an existing file: ```wl In[2]:= Export["file.png", RandomImage[]] Out[2]= "file.png" ``` Use ``OverwriteTarget -> False`` to avoid overwriting: ```wl In[3]:= Export["file.png", RandomImage[], OverwriteTarget -> False] ``` Export::filex2: file.png already exists. Use OverwriteTarget -> True to overwrite the existing file. ```wl Out[3]= $Failed ``` ### Properties & Relations (1) The first format returned by ``FileNameToFormatList`` is used by default in ``Export`` : ```wl In[1]:= FileNameToFormatList["file.cdf"] Out[1]= {"CDF", "Affymetrix", "NASACDF"} In[2]:= Export["data.cdf", RandomInteger[100, 10]] Out[2]= "data.cdf" In[3]:= FileFormat[%] Out[3]= "CDF" ``` Specify a different export format: ```wl In[4]:= Export["data.cdf", RandomInteger[100, 10], "NASACDF"] Out[4]= "data.cdf" In[5]:= FileFormat[%] Out[5]= "NASACDF" ``` ## See Also * [`Import`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Import.en.md) * [`ExportString`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ExportString.en.md) * [`\$ExportFormats`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$ExportFormats.en.md) * [`FileFormatProperties`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FileFormatProperties.en.md) * [`SetFileFormatProperties`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetFileFormatProperties.en.md) * [`FileNameToFormatList`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FileNameToFormatList.en.md) * [`CloudExport`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CloudExport.en.md) * [`FileConvert`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FileConvert.en.md) * [`Write`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Write.en.md) * [`BinaryWrite`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/BinaryWrite.en.md) * [`Put`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Put.en.md) * [`Rasterize`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Rasterize.en.md) * [`ExportForm`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ExportForm.en.md) * [`DumpSave`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DumpSave.en.md) * [`SendMail`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SendMail.en.md) * [`FunctionCompileExport`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FunctionCompileExport.en.md) ## Tech Notes * [Importing and Exporting Data](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/ImportingAndExporting.en.md#21778) * [Importing and Exporting Files](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/ImportingAndExporting.en.md#30732) * [Exporting Graphics and Sounds](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/ImportingAndExporting.en.md#1790) * [Developing an Export Converter](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/ImportingAndExporting.en.md#498660614) ## Related Guides * [Importing and Exporting](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ImportingAndExporting.en.md) * [Graphics Importing & Exporting](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/GraphicsImportingAndExporting.en.md) * [WDF (Wolfram Data Framework)](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/WDFWolframDataFramework.en.md) * [Raster Image Formats](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/RasterImageFormats.en.md) * [C/C++ Language Interface](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/CLanguageInterface.en.md) * [Creating Web Pages](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/CreatingWebPages.en.md) * [Audio Formats](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/AudioFormats.en.md) * [Importing & Exporting in Notebooks](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ImportingAndExportingInNotebooks.en.md) * [XML Import & Export](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/XMLImportAndExport.en.md) * [Multimedia Formats](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/MultimediaFormats.en.md) * [Tabular Communication](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/TabularCommunication.en.md) * [Audio Representation](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/AudioRepresentation.en.md) * [`Files`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/Files.en.md) * [Video Creation](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/VideoCreation.en.md) * [`Colors`](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/Colors.en.md) * [External Operations](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ExternalOperations.en.md) * [Wolfram Language File Formats](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/WolframLanguageFileFormats.en.md) * [Persistent Storage](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/PersistentStorage.en.md) * [Video Processing](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/VideoProcessing.en.md) * [Tabular Processing Overview](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/TabularProcessing.en.md) * [Handling Live Mailboxes](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/HandlingLiveMailboxes.en.md) * [Local Objects](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/LocalObjects.en.md) * [Internet and Computer Systems Data](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/InternetAndWebRelatedData.en.md) * [Neural Network Construction & Properties](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/NeuralNetworkConstruction.en.md) ## Related Workflows * [Make Publication-Quality Graphics](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/workflow/MakePublicationQualityGraphics.en.md) * [Save a Notebook as a PDF](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/workflow/SaveANotebookAsAPDF.en.md) * [Generate JSON](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/workflow/GenerateJSON.en.md) ## Related Links * [Fast Introduction for Programmers: External Connections](http://www.wolfram.com/language/fast-introduction-for-programmers/external-connections/) * [An Elementary Introduction to the Wolfram Language: Importing and Exporting](https://www.wolfram.com/language/elementary-introduction/44-importing-and-exporting.html) * [NKS\|Online](http://www.wolframscience.com/nks/search/?q=Export) * [A New Kind of Science](http://www.wolframscience.com/nks/) ## History * Introduced in 1999 (4.0) \| Updated in 2003 (5.0) ▪ 2004 (5.1) ▪ [2007 (6.0)](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/SummaryOfNewFeaturesIn60.en.md) ▪ [2014 (10.0)](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/SummaryOfNewFeaturesIn100.en.md) ▪ [2017 (11.2)](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/SummaryOfNewFeaturesIn112.en.md) ▪ [2019 (12.0)](https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/SummaryOfNewFeaturesIn120.en.md)