WOLFRAM

Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center

ToMemory[obj]

returns an in-memory version of the out-of-core object obj.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Properties & Relations  
See Also
Related Guides
History
Cite this Page

ToMemory

ToMemory[obj]

returns an in-memory version of the out-of-core object obj.

Details

  • ToMemory is typically used to bring data into local memory, to allow more immediate interaction and analysis.
  • Supported objects obj include:
  • otabout-of-core Tabular object
    audioout-of-core Audio object
    videoout-of-core Video object
  • In-memory version of large objects increases the memory in use as well as the notebook size. It is generally not recommended to have in-core representation of very large objects.
  • With inputs like Audio and Video, ToMemory performs the same operation as the "Store in notebook" button.

Examples

open all close all

Basic Examples  (3)

Create a Tabular object backed by a relational database:

Wolfram Language code: tab = Tabular[RelationalDatabase[FindFile["ExampleData/ecommerce-database.sqlite"]] -> "offices"]

Bring it into memory:

Wolfram Language code: ToMemory[tab]

Perform operations on the SQL-backed Tabular object before bringing it into memory:

Wolfram Language code: tab = Tabular[RelationalDatabase[FindFile["ExampleData/ecommerce-database.sqlite"]] -> "offices"]
Wolfram Language code: ToMemory[Select[tab, #country === "USA"&]]

Store an out-of-memory Audio object in the notebook:

Wolfram Language code: ToMemory@\!\(\*AudioBox["![Embedded Audio Player](audio://content-vxgua)"]\)

Scope  (2)

Audio object:

Wolfram Language code: a = Audio["ExampleData/car.mp3"]

Inspect the out-of-core resource location:

Wolfram Language code: Information[a, "ResourcePath"]

This creates an in-memory Audio object:

Wolfram Language code: ToMemory[a]
Wolfram Language code: Information[%, "ResourcePath"]

Video object:

Wolfram Language code: v = Video["ExampleData/fish.mp4"]

Inspect the out-of-core resource location:

Wolfram Language code: Information[v, "ResourcePath"]

The byte count of this out-of-core object is very small and does not increase with object size:

Wolfram Language code: ByteCount[v]

This creates an in-memory Video object:

Wolfram Language code: mem = ToMemory[v]
Wolfram Language code: Information[mem, "ResourcePath"]

Byte count of the in-memory version of the object is much larger and increases with larger resources:

Wolfram Language code: ByteCount[mem]

Properties & Relations  (1)

Operations that are supported by out-of-core Tabular objects generally commute with ToMemory:

Wolfram Language code: tab = Tabular[RelationalDatabase[FindFile["ExampleData/ecommerce-database.sqlite"]] -> "offices"]
Wolfram Language code: ToMemory[Select[tab, #country === "USA"&]] === Select[ToMemory[tab], #country === "USA"&]
Wolfram Research (2025), ToMemory, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToMemory.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (2025), ToMemory, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToMemory.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2025. "ToMemory." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToMemory.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2025). ToMemory. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToMemory.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_tomemory, author="Wolfram Research", title="{ToMemory}", year="2025", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToMemory.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_tomemory, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={ToMemory}, year={2025}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToMemory.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}