XEmacs Lisp Reference Manual - Named Features Go to the first , previous , next , last section, table of contents .
Features provide and require are an alternative to autoload for loading files automatically.
They work in terms of named features . Autoloading is triggered by calling a specific function, but a feature is loaded the first time another program asks for it by name. A feature name is a symbol that stands for a collection of functions, variables, etc. The file that defines them should provide the feature. Another program that uses them may ensure they are defined by requiring the feature.