Edit a game save from the CLI

Use the save commands to inspect a game save, preview a field change, and write an edited copy. The examples use Pokémon Emerald. The Save Editor reference lists every supported game and its editable fields. For browser steps, see Edit a Generation III save.

Keep a backup before you edit. Use the game's persistent save file, not an emulator save state.

Identify and inspect the save

Identify the file without changing it:

rom-weaver save identify game.sav

If recognition is ambiguous, select the game you played with --game. For Generation III, the accepted IDs are pokemon-ruby, pokemon-sapphire, pokemon-emerald, pokemon-firered, and pokemon-leafgreen.

Inspect the active slot, integrity results, and fields:

rom-weaver save inspect game.sav --game pokemon-emerald

Use only fields marked editable. If a damaged backup blocks editing, restore a known-good save before proceeding. The editor does not repair damaged sections.

Read and preview a field change

Read the current money value:

rom-weaver save get game.sav trainer.money --game pokemon-emerald

Preview an edit without writing a file:

rom-weaver save set game.sav trainer.money=999999 \
  --game pokemon-emerald --dry-run

Check the reported field and new value. You can pass several FIELD=VALUE assignments; the command validates all of them before it changes the copy.

To inspect field IDs, types, and limits as a schema:

rom-weaver save export-schema game.sav --game pokemon-emerald

Write and check the edited copy

Write to a new path:

rom-weaver save set game.sav trainer.money=999999 \
  --game pokemon-emerald --output edited.sav

An existing output needs --force. The output must not name the input file. Without --output, the command chooses a free sibling name such as game-edited.sav.

Read the value from the new file:

rom-weaver save get edited.sav trainer.money --game pokemon-emerald

Load the edited copy in the target emulator or on cartridge hardware. Check the changed field before replacing your working save. Keep the original backup.