Modules and imports

Inko programs are divided into many modules. A module is an Inko source file defining methods, classes, traits, constants, and more.

Modules and their symbols can be imported into other modules using the import keyword. For example, in the tutorials covered so far we've seen instances of this such as:

import std.stdio (STDOUT)

class async Main {
  fn async main {
    STDOUT.new.print('hello')
  }
}

Here we import the STDOUT class from the module std.stdio. We can also import modules as a whole:

import std.stdio

class async Main {
  fn async main {
    stdio.STDOUT.new.print('hello')
  }
}

Importing multiple symbols at once is also possible:

import std.stdio (STDERR, STDOUT)

class async Main {
  fn async main {
    STDOUT.new.print('hello')
    STDERR.new.print('world')
  }
}

When importing different symbols with the same name, you can prevent name conflicts by using a custom alias:

import std.stdio (STDERR as ERR, STDOUT as OUT)

class async Main {
  fn async main {
    OUT.new.print('hello')
    ERR.new.print('world')
  }
}

Import paths

When importing modules and symbols, the compiler looks in the following places to find the module (in this order):

1. Your project's src/ directory (refer to Project structure for more details)
2. The source directories of any dependencies of your project, as specified in the inko.pkg package manifest
3. Additional source directories specified using the -i / --include option, including the standard library (which is added by default)

If a module or symbol isn't found, a compile-time error is produced.