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$Initialization

is a symbol whose value, if any, is evaluated with ReleaseHold[$Initialization] at the start of a Wolfram Language session.

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$Initialization

$Initialization

is a symbol whose value, if any, is evaluated with ReleaseHold[$Initialization] at the start of a Wolfram Language session.

Details

Examples

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Basic Examples  (1)

Set a value to be evaluated every time the kernel starts:

Wolfram Language code: InitializationValue[$Initialization] = Hold[data = Get["mydata.m"]]

Set a value that persists only during a front end session:

Wolfram Language code: InitializationValue[$Initialization, "FrontEndSession"] = Hold[SetDirectory[CreateDirectory[]]]

View the current initialization value:

Wolfram Language code: InitializationValue[$Initialization]

Properties & Relations  (2)

Initialization values are stored in persistent objects:

Wolfram Language code: PersistentObjects["*$Initialization"]

List the existing initialization values for $Initialization in all editable persistence locations:

Wolfram Language code: InitializationObjects[$Initialization, {"FrontEndSession", "Local", "Notebook", "Cloud"}]

Remove them:

Wolfram Language code: DeleteObject[Values[%]]

Possible Issues  (1)

Create two initialization values for $Initialization in different locations:

Wolfram Language code: InitializationValue[$Initialization] = Hold[data = Get["mydata.m"]]; InitializationValue[$Initialization, "FrontEndSession"] = Hold[SetDirectory[CreateDirectory[]]];

Remove by default removes only the value in the location given by $PersistenceBase:

Wolfram Language code: Remove[InitializationValue[$Initialization]]
Wolfram Language code: InitializationValue[$Initialization]

Remove all values that might exist anywhere in all editable locations given by $PersistencePath:

Wolfram Language code: Remove[InitializationValue[$Initialization, $PersistencePath]]

The default value is still present:

Wolfram Language code: InitializationValue[$Initialization]
Wolfram Research (2017), $Initialization, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$Initialization.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (2017), $Initialization, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$Initialization.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2017. "$Initialization." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$Initialization.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2017). $Initialization. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$Initialization.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_$initialization, author="Wolfram Research", title="{$Initialization}", year="2017", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$Initialization.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_$initialization, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={$Initialization}, year={2017}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$Initialization.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}