#

Function USE-PACKAGE

Syntax:

use-package packages-to-use `&optional` package => t

Arguments and Values:

packages-to-use---a designator for a list of package designators. The `KEYWORD` package may not be supplied.

package---a package designator. The default is the current package. The package cannot be the `KEYWORD` package.

Description:

use-package causes package to inherit all the external symbols of packages-to-use. The inherited symbols become accessible as internal symbols of package.

Packages-to-use are added to the use list of package if they are not there already. All external symbols in packages-to-use become accessible in package as internal symbols. use-package does not cause any new symbols to be present in package but only makes them accessible by inheritance.

use-package checks for name conflicts between the newly imported symbols and those already accessible in package. A name conflict in use-package between two external symbols inherited by package from packages-to-use may be resolved in favor of either symbol by importing one of them into package and making it a shadowing symbol.

Examples:

     (export (intern "LAND-FILL" (make-package 'trash)) 'trash) =>  T
     (find-symbol "LAND-FILL" (make-package 'temp)) =>  NIL, NIL
     (package-use-list 'temp) =>  (#<PACKAGE "TEMP">)
     (use-package 'trash 'temp) =>  T
     (package-use-list 'temp) =>  (#<PACKAGE "TEMP"> #<PACKAGE "TRASH">)
     (find-symbol "LAND-FILL" 'temp) =>  TRASH:LAND-FILL, :INHERITED

Side Effects:

The use list of package may be modified.

Affected By: None.

Exceptional Situations: None.

See Also:

unuse-package, package-use-list, Section 11.1 (Package Concepts)

Notes:

It is permissible for a package P1 to use a package P2 even if P2 already uses P1. The using of packages is not transitive, so no problem results from the apparent circularity.

The following X3J13 cleanup issue, not part of the specification, applies to this section:

- PACKAGE-FUNCTION-CONSISTENCY:MORE-PERMISSIVE

Copyright 1996-2005, LispWorks Ltd. All rights reserved.