loadarray
==============================================

Purpose
----------------

Loads an N-dimensional array from a disk file.

.. _loadarray:
.. index:: loadarray

Format
----------------

..

    loadarray [[path=path]] x, y = filename;


Remarks
-------

If no filename is given, as with *x* above, then the symbol name the file
is to be loaded into is used as the filename, and the proper extension
is added.

If more than one item is to be loaded in a single statement, the names
should be separated by commas.

The filename can be either a literal or a string. If the filename is in
a string variable, then the ``^`` (caret) operator must precede the name of
the string, as in:

::

   filestr = "mydata/adat";
   loadarray x = ^filestr;

If no extension is supplied, then an :file:`.fmt` extension will be assumed.

`loadarray` accepts pathnames. The following is legal:

::

   loadarray k = /gauss/a;

This will load :file:`/gauss/a.fmt` into *k*.

If the ``path=`` subcommand is used, the *path* string will be remembered
until changed in a subsequent command. This path will be used for all
`loadarray`, `loadm`, and `load` calls whenever none is specified.

The current path setting can be obtained (and changed) with the :func:`sysstate`
function, case 5.

::

   loadarray path = /data;

This will change the `loadarray` path without loading anything.

::

   loadarray path = /gauss a,b,c;

This will load :file:`a.fmt`, :file:`b.fmt`, and :file:`c.fmt` using :file:`/gauss` as a path. This path
will be used for the next `loadarray`, `loadm`, or `load` call if none is specified.

The `load` path or `save` path can be overridden in any particular `load` or
`save` by putting an explicit path on the filename given to `load` from or
`save` to as follows:

::

   loadarray path = /miscdata;
   loadarray a = /data/mydata1, b, c = hisdata;

In the above program:

:file:`/data/mydata1.fmt` would be loaded into an array called *a*.

:file:`/miscdata/b.fmt` would be loaded into an array called *b*.

:file:`/miscdata/hisdata.fmt` would be loaded into an array called *c*.

::

   oldarraypath = sysstate(5,"/data");
   loadarray a, b;
   call  sysstate(5,oldarraypath);

This will get the old `loadarray` path, set it to :file:`/data`, load :file:`a.fmt` and
:file:`b.fmt`, and reset the `loadarray` path to its original setting.

.. seealso:: Functions `load`, `save`, `let`, :func:`sysstate`