3.7.1 Specifying a package

If you are working in a particular package, you can adjust the current tool to display its symbols as you would refer to them from that package--that is, as the package sees them. This can make listings clearer and, more importantly, can show you which symbols have been exported from a package.

Doing this changes the process package of the tool. This means that both displayed symbols and symbols typed into the tool are assumed to be in the package specified. This can be useful in a browser, for example, if you intend to browse a number of different objects which come from the same package.

To change the process package for the active window:

1. Choose Tools > Preferences... .
2. Delete the package name in the Package text field, and type in the name of the new package.
3. Click
to confirm this new name.
4. Click Apply or OK to make the change.

Note: If you wish, you can partially type the package name and, then produce a list of possible completions by clicking .

As an example, imagine you are looking at a list of symbols in the Inspector. You are working in the package FOO , and some of the symbols in the Inspector are in that package, while others are in another package. To change the current package of the Inspector to FOO , follow the instructions below:

1. Choose Tools > Preferences... .

The Preferences dialog indicates that COMMON-LISP-USER is the current package in this window.

2. In the Package field, delete COMMON-LISP-USER , and type FOO .
3. Click OK to make the change.

In the Inspector all the symbols available from FOO appear without the package prefix FOO . Similarly, all exported symbols in packages which FOO uses appear without a package prefix, while all others have an appropriate package prefix.