# $EPIC: stub,v 1.3 2004/05/10 05:53:02 jnelson Exp $

Synopsis:
   stub alias|assign <alias/var>[,<alias/var>] <filename> [<filename> ...]

Description:
   The STUB allows you to set up a load-on-demand alias or assign.
   You may STUB any alias or variable name to a filename.  Whenever a
   stubbed alias or variable name is looked up, the stub is deleted, and 
   the lookup is interrupted while the filename to which the alias is stubbed
   is loaded.  After the load, the lookup continues as normal.  If the script
   that is loaded does not actually define a real value for the alias or 
   assign, then after the load the alias or assign is treated as any other
   undefined value.  

   STUBs are automatically deleted whenever they are first used.  They
   can also be deleted if a real alias or assign value is given to them.
   (So for example, you can stub 3 aliases to the same file, and when that
   file is loaded, it /alias'es all 3 of them, so all 3 stubs go away)

   STUBs can load more than one file at a time.

   The idea of using STUBs is to shorten load times by not having to 
   take the time to load files implementing features your script may offer
   that the user will never use.  If the user does use the feature, then it
   is loaded on demand and they never know the difference.

Examples:
   To load the file foobar.irc when the /foo command is issued:
      stub alias foo foobar.irc
      
   To load footoo.irc when $foo and $bar are accessed:
      stub assign foo,bar footoo.irc

See Also:
   alias(5); assign(5); load(5)