** Summary **

a [namespace] ensemble command

** Synopsis **

'''namespace import''' ''?-'''''force'''''? ?pattern pattern ...?''

** Documentation **

   [http://www.tcl.tk/man/tcl/TclCmd/namespace.htm%|%namespace man page]:   

** Description **

Imports commands into a namespace. Each ''pattern'' is a qualified name like
'''foo::x''' or '''a::p*'''. That is, it includes the name of an exporting
namespace and may have glob-style special characters in the command name at the
end of the qualified name. Glob characters may not appear in a namespace name.
All the commands that match a ''pattern'' string and which are currently
exported from their namespace are added to the current namespace. This is done
by creating a new command in the current namespace that points to the exported
command in its original namespace; when the new imported command is called, it
invokes the exported command. This command normally returns an error if an
imported command conflicts with an existing command. However, if the
-'''force''' option is given, imported commands will silently replace existing
commands. The '''namespace import''' command has snapshot semantics: that is,
only requested commands that are currently defined in the exporting namespace
are imported. In other words, you can import only the commands that are in a
namespace at the time when the '''namespace import''' command is executed. If
another command is defined and exported in this namespace later on, it will not
be imported.

For use cases where it is an alternative, `[[[namespace path]]` is preferred to
`[[namespace import]`

** Misc **



[escargo] 2006-12-04:  I tested this to see what '''namespace import'''
returns, and it didn't return anything. There are two behaviors that I think
might be useful that aren't implemented:

   1. Have `[[namespace import]` return a list of the commands that are imported. Right now I don't see any easy way to determine what gets imported. ''([DKF]: This is what 8.5 now does, BTW.)'' (What Tip 261 specifies is the behavior with no arguments. That's not quite what I'm suggesting.)

   1. Alternatively, have '''namespace import''' take another parameter (''-asif'' maybe) that tells the import to just return the names of what would be imported and to not do the actual import.

My motivation has to do with [Nagelfar], actually.  The second option would
allow a code analyzer to follow along with "package require" and "namespace
import" to discover code that would be known to the code being analyzed.  This
would allow reduction of false positives for unknown commands.

** See Also **

   [namespace]:   

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