A script can be split into several files. Each file with the .mn extension is a module. Modules can be reused from other modules by using the load keyword followed by the module path.

Example:

load system.file
load mint.lang

The module path is the path to the file to be loaded. Directories are separated by the . operator, and the file extension must be omitted. Only files with the .mn extension can be loaded, and no '.' character is allowed in the path.

The module path is always relative. The root path of a module is searched in the following order:

• The current working directory
• The main module's directory path
• The standard library's directory path (depending on the installation)
• A path provided by the MINT_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable

If the module cannot be found in any of those paths, the load fails.

When a module is loaded, its contents are executed from the first instruction. The execution is performed with a new context, and the current package is reset. The module execution is completely independent of the loader module's context.

When the module execution is finished, the context and current package of the loader module are restored. Anything declared in the loaded module is then lost except for global variables, packages, and user defined types.

Once a module is loaded, any global symbol declared by the module is accessible from anywhere. The module can then no longer be loaded. The load instruction on an already loaded module has no effect.

The module started with the mint interpreter is called the main module. This module is started with a va_args variable initialized to an iterator to each parameter passed to the script (using a command line). The first value contained in this variable is always the path to the main module as passed to the interpreter.

Once the main module's execution has finished, the interpreter stops with the 0 exit status. The execution of the main module can also be stopped immediately from anywhere (including other modules) by using the exit keyword. An optional expression can follow the keyword to set the interpreter exit status.