SAVOBJ and RSTOBJ Basics

Learning Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use SAVOBJ and RSTOBJ to save and restore a specific object.

Simple Explanation

SAVOBJ saves one or more specific objects from a library; RSTOBJ restores them back:

SAVOBJ OBJ(CUSTINQR) LIB(MYLIB) OBJTYPE(*PGM) DEV(*SAVF) SAVF(MYLIB/CUSTBKUP)

RSTOBJ OBJ(CUSTINQR) SAVLIB(MYLIB) OBJTYPE(*PGM) DEV(*SAVF) SAVF(MYLIB/CUSTBKUP)

This saves the CUSTINQR program from MYLIB into a save file called CUSTBKUP, and later restores that same program from the save file back into a library.

Why It Matters

SAVOBJ and RSTOBJ work at the level of individual objects, which matches the everyday developer scenarios covered in the previous lesson: saving one specific program before changing it, or restoring one specific object that was accidentally deleted or overwritten, without needing to save or restore an entire library.

Practical Example

Recall the scenario from the previous lesson: a developer about to make a significant change to CUSTINQR. Running SAVOBJ for just that program beforehand, as shown above, creates a saved copy without touching anything else in MYLIB. If the change goes wrong, RSTOBJ restores that exact saved version of CUSTINQR, undoing the change at the object level.

This is a simplified, illustrative example rather than a specific real deployment, but it reflects exactly how SAVOBJ and RSTOBJ are used in everyday development work.

Common Confusions

"Does RSTOBJ restore an object to the same library it was saved from, automatically?" Not necessarily; RSTOBJ restores to whatever library is specified in its own parameters, which can be the original library or a different one, such as a test library. Confirming the target library deliberately, covered in more depth later in this batch, matters here.

"Does SAVOBJ remove the object from its current library?" No. SAVOBJ creates a saved copy; the original object stays exactly where it was, unaffected by the save.

"Do I need special authority to run SAVOBJ or RSTOBJ?" Yes, in the same way other object operations require authority, covered earlier in this course. Sufficient authority to the object being saved, and to the target library for a restore, is needed.

Quick Recap

• SAVOBJ saves one or more specific objects from a library into a save file or other save media.
• RSTOBJ restores those objects back, to a library specified in its own parameters.
• Saving an object does not remove or change the original; it creates a separate, saved copy.
• SAVOBJ and RSTOBJ work at the individual object level, distinct from saving or restoring an entire library, covered in the next lesson.

Try Asking the AI Tutor

Use the AI Tutor to ask follow-up questions about this lesson. For example, try asking:

• "What would happen if I ran RSTOBJ and specified a different library than the object was originally saved from?"
• "Why might a developer choose SAVOBJ for one program rather than saving the whole library it lives in?"