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Initialize[sym]

initializes the symbol sym from persistent values on the default persistence path.

Initialize[sym,{loc1,…}]

initializes the symbol sym from persistent values on the persistence path {loc1,…}.

Initialize["patt"]

initializes all variables matching the string pattern "patt".

Details and Options
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Options  
MergingFunction  
Properties & Relations  
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Related Guides
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Initialize

Initialize[sym]

initializes the symbol sym from persistent values on the default persistence path.

Initialize[sym,{loc1,…}]

initializes the symbol sym from persistent values on the persistence path {loc1,…}.

Initialize["patt"]

initializes all variables matching the string pattern "patt".

Details and Options

Examples

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Basic Examples  (1)

Set an initialization value for a variable:

Wolfram Language code: InitializationValue[myvar, "KernelSession"] = 42

Initialize the variable from the persistent value:

Wolfram Language code: Initialize[myvar];
Wolfram Language code: myvar

Scope  (1)

Set initializations for two variables in a given context:

Wolfram Language code: InitializationValue[ctx`a, "KernelSession"] = 42; InitializationValue[ctx`b, "KernelSession"] = 43;

Initialize all variables in the given context:

Wolfram Language code: Initialize["ctx`*"]
Wolfram Language code: {ctx`a, ctx`b}

Options  (1)

MergingFunction  (1)

Establish a default value and merging function for an initialization value:

Wolfram Language code: InitializationValue[ivar, "Local", MergingFunction -> Flatten] = {};

Add an initialization value at the front end persistence location:

Wolfram Language code: InitializationValue[ivar, "FrontEndSession"] = ival1;

The resulting initialization value now uses the default merging function:

Wolfram Language code: InitializationValue[ivar]

You can override the default merging function to use for an initialization:

Wolfram Language code: Initialize[ivar, MergingFunction -> First]; ivar

Properties & Relations  (1)

Set an initialization value for a variable persisting for the current front end session:

Wolfram Language code: InitializationValue[Global`myvar, "FrontEndSession"] = 43

Quit and restart the kernel:

Wolfram Language code: Quit[];

Each newly started kernel will automatically invoke Initialize for all variables:

Wolfram Language code: Global`myvar

After quitting and restarting the front end, the initialization value is gone:

Wolfram Language code: Global`myvar
Wolfram Research (2017), Initialize, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Initialize.html.

Text

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

CMS

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

APA

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

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_initialize, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Initialize}", year="2017", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Initialize.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_initialize, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Initialize}, year={2017}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Initialize.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}