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A package begins with
Package $PackageName
and ends with
EndPackage;
PackageName is a string that will be used to identify the package.
The dollar sign is required. There are no restrictions on the string
PackageName, but keep in mind that it serves to distinguish functions
in the package from those in all other CoCoA packages. A name of the
form
contrib/subject is typical.
In between the
Package declaration and its
EndPackage one may: (1)
declare Aliases (see below), (2) define functions, and (3) make
comments (please).
If a function F in the package appears in the definition of another
function within the package, it must be referred to as
$.F (or
$PackageName.F, or using a local alias, see below).
Typically, the user will read in the package using the
Source
command. After that, to save on typing, the user will
choose a global alias with which to refer to the package using the
syntax:
Alias ShortName := $PackageName;
where ShortName is any convenient string, hopefully not conflicting
with other global aliases. (A list of the global aliases is returned
by the function
Aliases
.)
A package function, F, is then called using the name
ShortName.F.