The value in "sym" file disappears when using splayed tables

Question

I am using the following line:

`:c:/dir/ set .Q.en[`:c:/dir; tablename]

Everything is ok if I don't exit KDB, but if I do and then try to load the table using

get `dir

all the symbol columns are integer. I would really appreciate your help into understanding why this happens.

Answer 1

It looks like you forgot to repeat the table name on the l.h.s. of set.

Try

q)`:c:/dir/tablename/ set .Q.en[`:c:/dir; tablename]

This will correctly save table columns in c:/dir/tablename subdirectory and place the sym file alongside. Now you should be able to load both your table and the sym file by using the \l command or specifying c:/dir on the command line when you restart q

q c:/dir

or

q
q)\l c:/dir

(no backticks or leading :'s in either of those commands)

If you want to use get on this table, you will have to load sym separately:

q)load`:c:/dir/sym
q)get`:c:/dir/tablename/

(note the leading : in the path specs)

Finally, you may want to take a look at the rsave command which will save your table without you having to write tablename twice.

Answer 2

.Q.en takes 2 oarams - file handle and table data

Your first param isnt a hsym - should be backtick then colon then path to your db root

Also set takes 2 params - first in this case should be the path to where you want to save like dir/splayedTableName/