---
name: "Tcl_AppendExportList"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "tcl"
version: "8.6.16-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Tcl_AppendExportList"
---

# Tcl\_AppendExportList(3)

manipulate namespaces

```

```

## NAME

Tcl\_AppendExportList, Tcl\_CreateNamespace, Tcl\_DeleteNamespace, Tcl\_Export, Tcl\_FindCommand, Tcl\_FindNamespace, Tcl\_ForgetImport, Tcl\_GetCurrentNamespace, Tcl\_GetGlobalNamespace, Tcl\_GetNamespaceUnknownHandler, Tcl\_Import, Tcl\_SetNamespaceUnknownHandler - manipulate namespaces

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <tcl.h>

Tcl_Namespace *
Tcl_CreateNamespace(interp, name, clientData, deleteProc)

Tcl_DeleteNamespace(nsPtr)

int
Tcl_AppendExportList(interp, nsPtr, objPtr)

int
Tcl_Export(interp, nsPtr, pattern, resetListFirst)

int
Tcl_Import(interp, nsPtr, pattern, allowOverwrite)

int
Tcl_ForgetImport(interp, nsPtr, pattern)

Tcl_Namespace *
Tcl_GetCurrentNamespace(interp)

Tcl_Namespace *
Tcl_GetGlobalNamespace(interp)

Tcl_Namespace *
Tcl_FindNamespace(interp, name, contextNsPtr, flags)

Tcl_Command
Tcl_FindCommand(interp, name, contextNsPtr, flags)

Tcl_Obj *
Tcl_GetNamespaceUnknownHandler(interp, nsPtr)

int
Tcl_SetNamespaceUnknownHandler(interp, nsPtr, handlerPtr)
```

## ARGUMENTS

- Tcl\_Interp *\*interp* (in/out)

  The interpreter in which the namespace exists and where name lookups are performed. Also where error result messages are written.

- const char *\*name* (in)

  The name of the namespace or command to be created or accessed.

- ClientData *clientData* (in)

  A context pointer by the creator of the namespace.  Not interpreted by Tcl at all.

- Tcl\_NamespaceDeleteProc *\*deleteProc* (in)

  A pointer to function to call when the namespace is deleted, or NULL if no such callback is to be performed.

- Tcl\_Namespace *\*nsPtr* (in)

  The namespace to be manipulated, or NULL (for other than **Tcl\_DeleteNamespace**) to manipulate the current namespace.

- Tcl\_Obj *\*objPtr* (out)

  A reference to an unshared value to which the function output will be written.

- const char *\*pattern* (in)

  The glob-style pattern (see **Tcl\_StringMatch**) that describes the commands to be imported or exported.

- int *resetListFirst* (in)

  Whether the list of export patterns should be reset before adding the current pattern to it.

- int *allowOverwrite* (in)

  Whether new commands created by this import action can overwrite existing commands.

- Tcl\_Namespace *\*contextNsPtr* (in)

  The location in the namespace hierarchy where the search for a namespace or command should be conducted relative to when the search term is not rooted at the global namespace.  NULL indicates the current namespace.

- int *flags* (in)

  OR-ed combination of bits controlling how the search is to be performed.  The following flags are supported: **TCL\_GLOBAL\_ONLY** (indicates that the search is always to be conducted relative to the global namespace), **TCL\_NAMESPACE\_ONLY** (just for **Tcl\_FindCommand**; indicates that the search is always to be conducted relative to the context namespace), and **TCL\_LEAVE\_ERR\_MSG** (indicates that an error message should be left in the interpreter if the search fails.)

- Tcl\_Obj *\*handlerPtr* (in)

  A script fragment to be installed as the unknown command handler for the namespace, or NULL to reset the handler to its default.

  ```

  ```

## DESCRIPTION

Namespaces are hierarchic naming contexts that can contain commands and variables.  They also maintain a list of patterns that describes what commands are exported, and can import commands that have been exported by other namespaces.  Namespaces can also be manipulated through the Tcl command **namespace**.

The *Tcl\_Namespace* structure encapsulates a namespace, and is guaranteed to have the following fields in it: *name* (the local name of the namespace, with no namespace separator characters in it, with empty denoting the global namespace), *fullName* (the fully specified name of the namespace), *clientData*, *deleteProc* (the values specified in the call to **Tcl\_CreateNamespace**), and *parentPtr* (a pointer to the containing namespace, or NULL for the global namespace.)

**Tcl\_CreateNamespace** creates a new namespace.  The *deleteProc* will have the following type signature:

```
typedef void Tcl_NamespaceDeleteProc(
        ClientData clientData);
```

**Tcl\_DeleteNamespace** deletes a namespace, calling the *deleteProc* defined for the namespace (if any).

**Tcl\_AppendExportList** retrieves the export patterns for a namespace given namespace and appends them (as list items) to *objPtr*.

**Tcl\_Export** sets and appends to the export patterns for a namespace.  Patterns are appended unless the *resetListFirst* flag is true.

**Tcl\_Import** imports commands matching a pattern into a namespace.  Note that the pattern must include the name of the namespace to import from.  This function returns TCL\_ERROR if an attempt to import a command over an existing command is made, unless the *allowOverwrite* flag has been set.

**Tcl\_ForgetImport** removes imports matching a pattern.

**Tcl\_GetCurrentNamespace** returns the current namespace for an interpreter.

**Tcl\_GetGlobalNamespace** returns the global namespace for an interpreter.

**Tcl\_FindNamespace** searches for a namespace named *name* within the context of the namespace *contextNsPtr*.  If the namespace cannot be found, NULL is returned.

**Tcl\_FindCommand** searches for a command named *name* within the context of the namespace *contextNsPtr*.  If the command cannot be found, NULL is returned.

**Tcl\_GetNamespaceUnknownHandler** returns the unknown command handler for the namespace, or NULL if none is set.

**Tcl\_SetNamespaceUnknownHandler** sets the unknown command handler for the namespace. If *handlerPtr* is NULL, then the handler is reset to its default.

## SEE ALSO

[Tcl\_CreateCommand(3)](/Tcl_CreateCommand/3.md), [Tcl\_ListObjAppendList(3)](/Tcl_ListObjAppendList/3.md), [Tcl\_SetVar(3)](/Tcl_SetVar/3.md)

## KEYWORDS

namespace, command