require module-name &optional pathname-list    implementation-dependent

pathname-list - nil, or a designator for a non-empty list of pathname designators. The default is nil.

require tests for the presence of the module-name in the list held by *modules*. If it is present, require immediately returns. Otherwise, an attempt is made to load an appropriate set of files as follows: The pathname-list argument, if non-nil, specifies a list of pathnames to be loaded in order, from left to right. If the pathname-list is nil, an implementation-dependent mechanism will be invoked in an attempt to load the module named module-name; if no such module can be loaded, an error of type error is signaled.

Both functions use string= to test for the presence of a module-name.

;;; This illustrates a nonportable use of REQUIRE, because it
;;; depends on the implementation-dependent file-loading mechanism.

(require "CALCULUS")

;;; This use of REQUIRE is nonportable because of the literal 
;;; physical pathname.  

(require "CALCULUS" "/usr/lib/lisp/calculus")

;;; One form of portable usage involves supplying a logical pathname,
;;; with appropriate translations defined elsewhere.

(require "CALCULUS" "lib:calculus")

;;; Another form of portable usage involves using a variable or
;;; table lookup function to determine the pathname, which again
;;; must be initialized elsewhere.

(require "CALCULUS" *calculus-module-pathname*)

If require fails to perform the requested operation due to a problem while interacting with the file system, an error of type file-error is signaled.

An error of type file-error might be signaled if any pathname in pathname-list is a designator for a wild pathname.

If a module consists of a single package, it is customary for the package and module names to be the same.