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Macaulay2 > The Macaulay2 language > packages > needsPackage

needsPackage -- load a package if not already loaded

Synopsis

Usage:
needsPackage PACKAGENAME
Inputs:
- PACKAGENAME, the name of the package
Consequences:
- Loads the package PACKAGENAME in the file PACKAGENAME.m2
Outputs:
- either the Package just loaded, or null if the package has already been loaded.
Optional inputs:
- DebuggingMode => ...,
- LoadDocumentation => ...,

Description

The file PACKAGENAME.m2 should be on the load path and should contain a package named PACKAGENAME.

For example, to load the sample package FirstPackage:

i1 : needsPackage "FirstPackage"

o1 = FirstPackage

o1 : Package

i2 : needsPackage "FirstPackage"

o2 = FirstPackage

o2 : Package

The second time the package was not reloaded.

See also

Ways to use `needsPackage` :

needsPackage(String)