# Importing an mx file into a context

Consider the following simple code which dumps the global context:

var = 5;
DumpSave["test.mx", "Global"];


Now, in a new notebook, I would like to import var in another context. Trying

Begin["myContext"]
<< "test.mx"
End[]


does not work because var remains in the global context. Is there a solution?

Thank you.

Using Begin and End won't help, because .mx files are lower-level and the way they are loaded is different from normal packages.

I was about to say that this isn't possible, but here is a hack which seems to work:

ClearAll[loadInContext];
Module[{tag},
Block[{\$NewSymbol=Sow[#1,tag]&},
With[{created=(If[#1==={},{},First[#1]]&)[Reap[Import[file],tag][[2]]]},
Scan[(Context[#1]=context)&,created]
]
]
]


You can use this as, for example:

loadInContext["MyContext", "test.mx"}]


It is based on a rather interesting and little-known feature, that the assignment like

Context[sym] = newContext


will move the symbol (together with the global rules possibly attached to it) to a new context.

• Does this prevent a name collision for Symbols already defined in Global? – Mr.Wizard May 1 '14 at 11:39
• @Mr.Wizard Thanks for the upvote. Very few people know about this Conext[sym]=` thing, I think (I mean, outside of WRI). I discovered it myself some time ago, but I am sure I haven't seen any single mention of this thing anywhere on SO, SE of MathGroup. This was a good opportunity to mention it. – Leonid Shifrin May 1 '14 at 11:43
• @Mr.Wizard Why sadly? Turns out you knew it too. Apparently I was also in that comment discussion, but my lack of response to your comment shows that I knew this by then. This doesn't change the fact that there aren't many people who know about it. It just shows that my memory isn't perfect and I forgot about that comment of yours. – Leonid Shifrin May 1 '14 at 11:47
• @Mr.Wizard as to failing to remember names, when I first met my wife, I could not remember her name to save my life, and she the same. This was despite the fact we were both interested in each other. For some reason, each others' names took a long time to stick. – rcollyer May 1 '14 at 13:01
• @Rojo I also noticed that. Don't know whether or not this is expected, may be not. But apparently, this opens a possibility to import separate symbols into other contexts, rather than entire contexts - which is quite nice. Not sure though that one can rely on this feature. I will ask around, when I get some time. – Leonid Shifrin May 3 '14 at 13:10