DATALAD-SAVE(1)

💾 datalad save(1) — the datalad save girlie is here to help

okay bestie, welcome to the datalad save manual page (that's the manual name right there, we're folding it in like a cute lil intro 💖). This is the General Commands Manual, and it's got everything you need. Let's go ✨

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🌟 NAME 🌟

datalad save — literally just save the current state of a dataset. that's it. that's the whole vibe 🫶

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

datalad save [-h] [-m MESSAGE] [-d DATASET] [-t ID] [-r] [-R LEVELS]
       [-u] [-F MESSAGE_FILE] [--to-git] [-J NJOBS] [--amend]
       [--version] [PATH ...]

look at all those flags, she's stunning 💅

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so like — saving the state of a dataset records changes that have been made to it. main character behaviour, honestly 👑

This change record is annotated with a user-provided description. and optionally, you can slap an additional tag on the saved state — like a version — and then later you can go back and grab past versions super easily. it's giving time capsule 🕰️✨

NOTE — Before Git v2.22, any Git repository without an initial commit located inside a Dataset is ignored, and content underneath it will be saved to the respective superdataset. DataLad datasets always have an initial commit, hence are not affected by this behavior. no cap, that's just how it is 🧚

💫 Examples

Save any content underneath the current directory, without altering any potential subdataset:

% datalad save .

Save specific content in the dataset:

% datalad save myfile.txt

Attach a commit message to save:

% datalad save -m 'add file' myfile.txt

Save any content underneath the current directory, and recurse into any potential subdatasets:

% datalad save . -r

Save any modification of known dataset content in the current directory, but leave untracked files (e.g. temporary files) untouched:

% datalad save -u .

Tag the most recent saved state of a dataset:

% datalad save --version-tag 'bestyet'

Save a specific change but integrate into last commit keeping the already recorded commit message:

% datalad save myfile.txt --amend

okay those examples ate, fr fr 🔥

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✨ OPTIONS ✨

• PATH — path/name of the dataset component to save. If given, only changes made to those components are recorded in the new state. Constraints: value must be a string or value must be NONE 🍓
• -h, --help, --help-np — show this help message. --help-np forcefully disables the use of a pager for displaying the help message 🙈
• -m MESSAGE, --message MESSAGE — a description of the state or the changes made to a dataset. Constraints: value must be a string or value must be NONE 💌
• -d DATASET, --dataset DATASET — specify the dataset to save. Constraints: Value must be a Dataset or a valid identifier of a Dataset (e.g. a path) or value must be NONE 🌈
• -t ID, --version-tag ID — an additional marker for that state. Every dataset that is touched will receive the tag. Constraints: value must be a string or value must be NONE 🏷️
• -r, --recursive — if set, recurse into potential subdatasets. going deeper, bestie 🌀
• -R LEVELS, --recursion-limit LEVELS — limit recursion into subdatasets to the given number of levels. Constraints: value must be convertible to type int or value must be NONE ⭐
• -u, --updated — if given, only saves previously tracked paths. no randos allowed 🙅‍♀️
• -F MESSAGE_FILE, --message-file MESSAGE_FILE — take the commit message from this file. This flag is mutually exclusive with -m. Constraints: value must be a string or value must be NONE 📄
• --to-git — flag whether to add data directly to Git, instead of tracking data identity only. Use with caution, there is no guarantee that a file put directly into Git like this will not be annexed in a subsequent save operation. If not specified, it will be up to git-annex to decide how a file is tracked, based on a dataset's configuration to track particular paths, file types, or file sizes with either Git or git-annex. (see https://git-annex.branchable.com/tips/largefiles). 💀 lowkey risky, be careful with this one
• -J NJOBS, --jobs NJOBS — how many parallel jobs (where possible) to use. "auto" corresponds to the number defined by 'datalad.runtime.max-annex-jobs' configuration item. NOTE: This option can only parallelize input retrieval (get) and output recording (save). DataLad does NOT parallelize your scripts for you. Constraints: value must be convertible to type int or value must be NONE or value must be one of ('auto',) ⚡
• --amend — if set, changes are not recorded in a new, separate commit, but are integrated with the changeset of the previous commit, and both together are recorded by replacing that previous commit. This is mutually exclusive with recursive operation. 🫣 rewriting history, iconic
• --version — show the module and its version which provides the command 👑

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👑 AUTHORS 👑

datalad is developed by The DataLad Team and Contributors <team@datalad.org>. literal legends 💜

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🧚 sign-off 🧚

this has been datalad save version 1.1.5, dated 2025-06-15, and yes it's still the General Commands Manual page for datalad save(1). go forth and save your state, bestie — you got this 💅✨🎀