Save object using variable with object name
r, save
Solution
Try `save(list=objectName, file=paste(objectName, '.Rdata', sep='') )`.
The key is that the `list` argument to `save` takes a list of character strings that is the names of the objects to save (rather than the actual objects passed through `...`).
Problem
Possible Duplicate: how to save() with a particular variable name I'm wondering what an easy way is to save an object in R, using a variable `objectName` with the name of the object to be saved. I want this to easy save objects, with their name in the file name. I tried to use `get`, but I didn't manage to save the object with it's original object name. Example: If I have the object called "temp", which I want to save in the directory "dataDir". I put the name of the object in the variable "objectName". Attempt 1: ``` objectName<-"temp" save(get(objectName), file=paste(dataDir, objectName, ".RData", sep="")) load(paste(dataDir, objectName, ".RData", sep="")) ``` This didn't work, because R tries to save an object called `get(objectName)`, instead of the result of this call. So I tried the following: Attempt 2: ``` objectName<-"temp" object<-get(objectName) save(object, file=paste(dataDir, objectName, ".RData", sep="")) load(paste(dataDir, objectName, ".RData", sep="")) ``` This obviously didn't work, because R saves the object with name "object", and not with name "temp". After loading I have a copy of "object", instead of "temp". (Yes, with the same contents...but that is not what I want :) ). So I thought it should be something with pointers. So tried the following: Attempt 3: ``` objectName<-"temp" object<<-get(objectName) save(object, file=paste(dataDir, objectName, ".RData", sep="")) load(paste(dataDir, objectName, ".RData", sep="")) ``` Same result as attempt 2. But I'm not sure I'm doing what I think I'm doing. What is the solution for this?