*print-alternate-package-name*

If true, then the alternate package name, if any, will be used when a package qualifier is printed, rather than the actual package name (though the alternate name may also be the package name). The alternate name is returned by package-alternate-name and can be set when a package is defined by make-package or defpackage. (See Extensions to cl:make-package, cl:disassemble, cl:truename, cl:probe-file, cl:open, cl:apropos and cl:defpackage and cl:in-package, both in implementation.htm, for more information on extensions to defpackage and make-package.)

If the alternate name is not set, the the first nickname in the package-nicknames list is used. The package-name is used if there are no nicknames defined. (The alternate name must be either the package name or one of its nicknames.)

If a package has a local nickname in the current package, that local nickname is used, rather than the global alternate name, when this variable is true. If there are more than one local nicknames, the first returned by package-local-nicknames will be used. Package-local nicknames are described in Package-local Nicknames in packages.htm.

If a package does not have a local nickname in the current package and all of its nicknames are shadowed by local nicknames of other packages, then the printer will use the package name regardless of whether it is also shadowed. This can lead to loss of print/read consistency. See Package-local Nicknames in packages.htm for an example.

See packages.htm for more information.

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This page was not revised from the 10.0 page.
Created 2019.8.20.