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<div><h1>Package -- the class of all packages</h1>
<div class="single"><h2>Description</h2>
<div>A package is a body of Macaulay2 source code devoted to a particular topic. Many packages are distributed with Macaulay2, and others are available from various users on the internet.<p/>
See <a href="_packages.html" title="">packages</a> for an overview about using and writing packages.<p/>
<b>Available packages</b><ul><li><span><a href="_packages_spprovided_spwith_sp__Macaulay2.html" title="">packages provided with Macaulay2</a></span></li>
<li>The directory containing the packages is <a href="../../../../Macaulay2/">common/share/Macaulay2/</a></li>
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<b>Functions useful when </b><a href="_using_sppackages.html" title="">using packages</a>.<ul><li><span><a href="_needs__Package.html" title="load a package if not already loaded">needsPackage</a> -- load a package if not already loaded</span></li>
<li><span><a href="_load__Package.html" title="load a package">loadPackage</a> -- load a package</span></li>
<li><span><a href="_install__Package.html" title="load and install a package and its documentation ">installPackage</a> -- load and install a package and its documentation </span></li>
<li><span><a href="_check.html" title="perform tests of a package">check</a> -- perform tests of a package</span></li>
<li><span><a href="_debug.html" title="open private dictionary of a package">debug</a> -- open private dictionary of a package</span></li>
</ul>
<b>Parts of a package. See </b><a href="_creating_spa_sppackage.html" title="">creating a package</a>.<ul><li><span><a href="_new__Package_lp__String_rp.html" title="package item: start a new package">newPackage</a> -- package item: start a new package</span></li>
<li><span><a href="_export.html" title="package item: export functions">export</a> -- package item: export functions</span></li>
<li><span><a href="_export__Mutable.html" title="package item: export writable variables">exportMutable</a> -- package item: export writable variables</span></li>
<li><span><a href="_begin__Documentation.html" title="package item: start documentation section">beginDocumentation</a> -- package item: start documentation section</span></li>
<li><span><a href="_document.html" title="package item: documentation node">document</a> -- package item: documentation node</span></li>
<li><span><a href="___T__E__S__T.html" title="package item: register a test of the package">TEST</a> -- package item: register a test of the package</span></li>
</ul>
<b>Functions useful while writing and debugging a package</b>.<ul><li><span><a href="_debugging.html" title="">debugging</a></span></li>
<li><span><a href="_debug.html" title="open private dictionary of a package">debug</a> -- open private dictionary of a package</span></li>
<li><span><a href="_check.html" title="perform tests of a package">check</a> -- perform tests of a package</span></li>
</ul>
<b>Functions that are only rarely used.</b><ul><li><span><a href="_dismiss.html" title="dismiss a package">dismiss</a> -- dismiss a package</span></li>
<li><span><a href="_uninstall__Package_lp__String_rp.html" title="uninstall a package">uninstallPackage</a> -- uninstall a package</span></li>
<li><span><a href="_use.html" title="install or activate object">use</a> -- install or activate object</span></li>
<li><span><a href="_make__Package__Index.html" title="">makePackageIndex</a></span></li>
<li><span><a href="_loaded__Packages.html" title="the list of loaded packages">loadedPackages</a> -- the list of loaded packages</span></li>
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<div class="waystouse"><h2>Methods that use a package :</h2>
<ul><li><span>check(Package), see <span><a href="_check.html" title="perform tests of a package">check</a> -- perform tests of a package</span></span></li>
<li><span>check(ZZ,Package), see <span><a href="_check.html" title="perform tests of a package">check</a> -- perform tests of a package</span></span></li>
<li><span>debug(Package), see <span><a href="_debug.html" title="open private dictionary of a package">debug</a> -- open private dictionary of a package</span></span></li>
<li><span>dismiss(Package), see <span><a href="_dismiss.html" title="dismiss a package">dismiss</a> -- dismiss a package</span></span></li>
<li><span>installPackage(Package), see <span><a href="_install__Package.html" title="load and install a package and its documentation ">installPackage</a> -- load and install a package and its documentation </span></span></li>
<li><span><a href="_options_lp__Package_rp.html" title="">options(Package)</a></span></li>
<li><span><a href="_use_lp__Package_rp.html" title="activate a previously dismissed package">use(Package)</a> -- activate a previously dismissed package</span></li>
</ul>
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<div class="waystouse"><h2>For the programmer</h2>
<p>The object <a href="___Package.html" title="the class of all packages">Package</a> is <span>a <a href="___Type.html">type</a></span>, with ancestor classes <a href="___Mutable__Hash__Table.html" title="the class of all mutable hash tables">MutableHashTable</a> < <a href="___Hash__Table.html" title="the class of all hash tables">HashTable</a> < <a href="___Thing.html" title="the class of all things">Thing</a>.</p>
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