Exports and Snapshots
FLITS supports both export bundles and full session snapshots.
Export bundles
Use the export workflow when you want shareable outputs such as:
- structured JSON results
- plots
- analysis windows
- catalog-style artifacts
- array-based products
The export preview helps you see what is currently available from the session state before downloading anything.
Session snapshots
Session snapshots capture the analysis state itself rather than just the final outputs. They are useful for:
- pausing and resuming work
- sharing a reproducible interactive state
- archiving the exact crop/mask/selection choices used in an analysis
Use Save Session to write the current session next to the source data in a
snapshots/ folder. If the session was opened from an existing saved snapshot,
Save Session updates that JSON file. Use Save Copy when you want a
timestamped copy instead. The Saved Sessions browser can search stored
snapshots by source, file name, note text, preset, and DM, then reopen a
matching session directly.
Snapshots do not embed the raw filterbank data. To share a snapshot with someone
else, use Download JSON or send the saved JSON file and make sure they start
FLITS with --data-dir or FLITS_DATA_DIR pointing at a directory that
contains the same source data file. FLITS records the source file name,
data-directory-relative path when available, file size, SHA-256 content hash,
and scientific metadata so the import can find moved/copied data and reject the
wrong file.
Recommended practice
For reproducible work, it is often useful to keep both:
- a snapshot for the full interactive state
- an export bundle for the derived products you actually cite or inspect
That combination gives you both replayability and clean final artifacts.